British Prime Minister Keir Starmer found himself at the centre of a tense public debate after an emotional speech about Peter Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to the United States.
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During a press conference on the release of documents about Mandelson’s ties to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, Starmer publicly apologised to the victims. He said he had relied on information that later turned out to be incomplete and admitted that his decision to appoint Mandelson was based on false assurances.
According to the prime minister, he was aware that Mandelson had previously been acquainted with Epstein, but the extent of their communication, which became known from new documents released by the US Department of Justice, turned out to be much broader than expected. Starmer stressed that he had never personally met Epstein and was not accused of any illegal activity.
Particular attention was drawn to a moment at the beginning of the broadcast, when the microphones were already working before the official start of the address. Starmer’s words that he had been ‘misled’ were broadcast. Later, government representatives clarified that this referred exclusively to inaccurate information received when making a personnel decision.
After the main part of the statement, the television broadcast was briefly interrupted for technical reasons, which sparked a wave of discussion on social media. Broadcasters confirmed that the interruption was not related to the content of the speech.
Particular attention was drawn to the mention on air of a digital communication platform, access to which is restricted in government agencies due to internal security regulations. Starmer emphasised that he does not use it in his official capacity and that all work communications go through official channels.
Mandelson was suspended from his post after the publication of correspondence showing closer contacts with Epstein than previously stated. British law enforcement agencies are currently investigating possible procedural violations, but no allegations of sexual offences have been made against him.
Starmer said he understood the public’s concerns and intended to review the vetting process for candidates for senior government positions. He said trust in institutions of power must be based on transparency and full accountability for decisions made.
