Foreign Office says it will review payoff given to Mandelson after he was sacked
Meanwhile, the chief of the Fire Brigades Union, Steve Wright, has called for Keir Starmer to go over the Mandelson scandal.
Wright told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme:
I think everybody’s thinking it, and people are just not saying it at the moment.
And unfortunately we’re seeing MPs being wheeled out again today to sweep up the mess behind the prime minister at the moment.
McFadden said Starmer made a “mistake” but acted in “good faith” when appointing Mandelson as US ambassador last year.
McFadden said there was no mention of Jeffrey Epstein on the day Mandelson was appointed in “many media circles” including the BBC.
McFadden said Starmer should “continue with what he is doing”, and said changing prime minister every “18 months to 2 years” has a damaging reputational and economic cost to the country.
McFadden said Starmer is “more frustrated than anyone” that damaging headlines since the new year have distracted from the government’s agenda, namely on the cost of living.
When asked if he thinks Starmer’s leadership is in big trouble, McFadden replied: “I don’t think it should be.”
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Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2026/feb/08/peter-mandelson-payoff-keir-starmer-jeffrey-epstein-ambassadoruk-politics-live-news-updates
Author : Yohannes Lowe
Publish date : 2026-02-08 10:14:00
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