Starmer Premiership In Peril As Rayner Twists Knife Over Mandelson

Starmer Premiership In Peril As Rayner Twists Knife Over Mandelson Scandal

Keir Starmer’s premiership plunged into crisis on Wednesday as Angela Rayner led a furious Labour revolt over his handling of the Peter Mandelson scandal — forcing the Prime Minister into a humiliating Commons climbdown and sparking open talk of ministerial resignations to hasten his downfall.

Rayner’s dramatic intervention, her most explosive since quitting as deputy prime minister, was widely interpreted at Westminster as a signal that she believes Starmer’s leadership is failing — and that the end may be approaching. Senior figures privately warned that some ministers are now considering resigning to accelerate a leadership collapse.

Starmer was further wounded when Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch forced him to admit — for the first time — that he appointed Mandelson as US ambassador despite knowing the disgraced Labour peer had remained friends with Jeffrey Epstein after his conviction for child sex offences.

Badenoch told a stunned House of Commons that the admission was “absolutely shocking” and raised grave questions about Starmer’s judgment — and that of his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, a longtime Mandelson protégé. By Wednesday night, Labour MPs were openly calling for McSweeney to be sacked in a desperate attempt to save the Prime Minister.

The pressure intensified when former shadow chancellor John McDonnell said he had “lost confidence” in Starmer and suggested he should resign. SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn branded the admission a “dark day” for Britain and urged the Prime Minister to apologise to Epstein’s victims.

Starmer attempted to shift blame onto Mandelson, telling MPs the peer had “lied and lied and lied again” during the appointment process and had “betrayed his country.” But Downing Street struggled to explain why the PM pressed ahead with the appointment after being told Mandelson had stayed loyal to Epstein — even visiting his New York mansion after the financier’s conviction.

The day descended into chaos. Mandelson was stripped of his Privy Council membership. Metropolitan Police warned that releasing appointment documents could interfere with a criminal investigation. Newly uncovered emails showed Mandelson visiting Epstein as late as 2013 — later than previously acknowledged — and raised fresh questions about secret loans, offshore property deals, and payments allegedly linked to Epstein.

Badenoch then detonated the situation by forcing a Commons motion ordering the release of hundreds of documents surrounding Mandelson’s appointment, including private messages involving Starmer and McSweeney. When the PM tried to retain control by insisting the Cabinet Secretary vet the files, Rayner struck.

Citing “public disgust” over Mandelson’s “sickening behaviour,” she demanded the documents be handed to Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee — stripping No 10 of its grip. Within an hour, Starmer capitulated. The motion passed without a vote.

As Scotland Yard investigates whether Mandelson leaked market-sensitive information to Epstein — a potential misconduct in public office charge carrying a life sentence — MPs warned the crisis is far from over.

What began as a scandal about one man is fast becoming a verdict on Starmer’s leadership itself.

Key Takeaways

• Angela Rayner’s intervention triggered panic and a humiliating Starmer climbdown.

• Starmer admitted appointing Mandelson despite knowing of his Epstein ties.

• Police investigations and document releases threaten to deepen the crisis.

SOURCE: DAILY MAIL