British Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivered a stark apology on Thursday, launching a direct attack on former British ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson and admitting he was wrong to trust him.
“I am sorry for having believed Mandelson’s lies and appointing him,” Starmer said, as anger continued to spread across parliament over why the appointment was made despite long-known ties between Mandelson and the late U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Starmer said the depth of that connection had only now become clear.
“It had been publicly known for some time that Mandelson knew Epstein, but none of us knew the depth and the darkness of that relationship,” he said at the start of a speech in southern England.
Files released last week by the U.S. Justice Department revealed emails that underscored how close the relationship was and suggested Mandelson leaked government documents to Epstein.
Records also indicated Epstein had logged payments to Mandelson or his then-partner, now husband.
Mandelson, a senior Labour figure when the party last governed more than 15 years ago, quit the House of Lords on Tuesday and is under police investigation for alleged misconduct in office.
He has said he does not recall receiving payments and has not commented on the leaking allegations. He has not responded to requests for comment.
With polls showing Starmer already facing public discontent, some Labour lawmakers say the episode raises serious questions about his judgement and could threaten his position.
Addressing victims of Epstein, Starmer said: “I want to say this to Epstein’s victims: I am sorry. Sorry for what was done to you, sorry that so many people with power failed you.”
Starmer said he wanted to release the vetting advice he received before appointing Mandelson as ambassador but added that police had asked him not to release anything that could “prejudice an investigation.”
The Iranian Health Ministry said at least 18 people were killed and 142 others injured in U.S. airstrikes carried out between 30 August 30 and 2 Se...
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that he thinks there is a chance of a peace being reached with Ukraine. He told ...
Hua Hong Semiconductor, China's second-largest contract chipmaker, is investing $2 billion to build a new fabrication plant in Wuxi, China as p...
The U.S. has launched a fresh wave of strikes on Iran, targeting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) sites as Tehran retaliated against U.S. positions across the region, while Iranian officials said at least five people were killed and dozens wounded at a wedding near Sirik.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that he thinks there is a chance of a peace being reached with Ukraine. He told the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia that he believed there was "a chance of finding a solution," to the conflict.
The Iranian Health Ministry said at least 18 people were killed and 142 others injured in U.S. airstrikes carried out between 30 August 30 and 2 September.
From mounting concerns over record global debt levels to growing tensions over China's trade surplus and Russia's return to the negotiating table, this year's G20 finance meeting in Asheville, North Carolina, highlighted the challenges confronting the global economy.
The European Union's foreign policy chief Kaia Kallas says the bloc will tighten enforcement of sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine. EU foreign ministers were meeting in Ireland following renewed Russian strikes on cities across Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that he thinks there is a chance of a peace being reached with Ukraine. He told the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia that he believed there was "a chance of finding a solution," to the conflict.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has rejected claims that Moroccan authorities orchestrated July’s deadly mass border crossing into Ceuta, saying Spain has found no evidence that Rabat planned or carried out the incident.
Denmark’s Security and Intelligence Service, PET, has warned that Russia is actively preparing sabotage operations against targets in the country, with defence companies supporting Ukraine seen as a particular focus.
Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan have agreed to raise bilateral trade to $200 million within two years, as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif concluded a three-day visit to Kyrgyzstan.
The latest escalation between the United States and Iran is being fought not only on the ground and at sea, but increasingly in the skies above the Gulf where a missile launch or intercepted drone can force an aircraft thousands of metres above the region to change course.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment