UK Politics

Sir Keir Starmer has rejected growing calls to sack the UK’s ambassador to Washington, Peter Mandelson, over his dealings with the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.The prime minister is facing increasing pressure over his controversial pick to lead the UK’s diplomatic efforts in the US, after further details emerged of the now Lord Mandelson’s previous close friendship with the disgraced former banker.They include claims that Epstein brokered a deal involving Mr Mandelson, then the business secretary, in relation to the sale of a taxpayer-owned business, after Epstein had been convicted of child sex offences, and Mr Mandelson writing a 50th birthday message to the paedophile, who died in 2019, in which he described him as his “best pal”.Angry Labour MPs have today joined calls for him to go. Breaking ranks, Labour deputy leadership hopeful Bell Ribeiro-Addy called for an investigation by Sir Keir’s ethics adviser Sir Laurie Magnus, saying: “There will be a huge amount of concern, and if the outcome is that he should resign, he should.”Ian Byrne, who had the Labour whip restored in February after being suspended following a vote on the two-child benefit cap, told The Independent: “MPs get suspended by the party, like I did, for voting against putting children and disabled people into poverty, but calling the world’s most infamous paedophile and child-trafficker your ‘best pal’, amongst other comments, that’s OK! It stinks to high heaven.”Keir Starmer defends Peter Mandelson at PMQs on Wednesday More

‘Embarrassing’ that Starmer has confidence in Mandelson, Badenoch saysSir Keir Starmer has given his full backing to Lord Mandelson, Britain’s ambassador to the US, amid a furore over his newly revealed links to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.Bell Ribeiro-Addy, a challenger for the deputy leadership, became the first Labour MP to call for Mandelson to be sacked and said ethics adviser Sir Laurie Magnus should investigate the ambassador.Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said Mandelson was “mired in scandal” and should step down, and asked Sir Keir whether he had been aware of Mandelson’s “intimate relationship” with Epstein.It has also emerged that the ambassador broke a business deal with Epstein even after he had been convicted of child sex offences. Sir Keir replied: “The ambassador has repeatedly expressed his deep regret for his association with him. He is right to do so. I have confidence in him, and he is playing an important role in the UK-US relationship.”He refused to say whether he knew of the pair’s relationship before Mandelson’s appointment but said due process was followed during that appointment.More ‘very embarrassing’ Epstein revelations to come, Mandelson saysPeter Mandelson has admitted that more details about his relationship with Jefferey Epstein are “going to come out”.But, asked whether there were more revelations to come about he and Esptein, Lord Mandelson said: “I have no doubt at all that there’s a lot of traffic, correspondence, exchanges between us – absolutely. And we know those are going to surface.“We know they’re going to come out.“We know they’re going to be very embarrassing, and they know that I’m going to profoundly regret ever having met him and been introduced to him in the first place.”( More

Peter Mandelson has broken his silence over the unfolding scandal around his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, warning there are more “very embarrassing” revelations to come after it was revealed he maintained ties with him after he was jailed for a child sex offence. Britain’s ambassador to Washington said he was “very embarrassed” to read a birthday message to the late paedophile in which he described him as his “best pal”.The messages, part of a 50th birthday book compiled for Epstein by convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, also saw Lord Mandelson express “love” for the financier and joke about entertaining his “interesting” friends. Epstein referred to Mandelson as ‘Petie’ in email correspondence More

A number of MPs are wearing sheaves of wheat on their lapels in the House of Commons during PMQs.The wheat sheaf pin badges are worn in support of Back British Farming Day, which falls on 10 September this year.Organised by the National Farmers’ Union for England and Wales (NFU), the event is aimed at celebrating the British food and farming sector and encouraging politicians to ensure it is prioritised.Launched back in 2016, the day provides an opportunity for politicians and the public to show their support for farmers and growers in feeding the nation and caring for the UK countryside.Lindsay Hoyle wore a wheat sheaf pin badge during PMQs More

The attorney general has trashed calls from Nigel Farage and some senior Conservatives to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), saying that abandoning it would send “an immensely damaging signal” to Britain’s allies.Lord Richard Hermer said abandoning the human rights convention would leave Britain “in the company of Russia and Belarus” (Russia was expelled from the ECHR after its invasion of Ukraine, while Belarus has never joined the Council of Europe).Sir Keir Starmer’s top lawyer said one of the complaints often made against the ECHR is that it makes it impossible to deport people overseas who may then face the risk of death or torture. Lord Hermer said Britain abandoning the ECHR would send ‘an immensely damaging signal’ More

Sir Keir Starmer has launched a “Budget board” to boost economic growth and keep businesses and City leaders appeased, according to reports.As part of his reset following Angela Rayner’s resignation last week, the prime minister plans to refocus the Cabinet on pro-growth policies with a new board that will link top ministers and 10 Downing Street officials with the Treasury.The board will be chaired by Mr Starmer’s new economic advisor Baroness Minouche Shafik, a former Bank of England deputy governor, and Treasury minister Torsten Bell, who will meet weekly, according to the Financial Times. The panel will face the task of coordinating pro-growth policies between now and the Budget, which is set to take place on 26 November. The prime minister’s new board will also comprise of key business voices in a recognition that the next few months could strain relations with corporate Britain.Baroness Shafik will play a key role on the panel, as will Darren Jones, former Treasury minister and current “chief secretary” to the prime minister. Morgan McSweeney and Katie Martin – chiefs of staff to Starmer and Reeves respectively – will also form the budget team in order to improve the handling of politics around the Budget. Business advisor Varun Chandra will also sit on the panel.Ben Nunn, the chancellor’s press chief, will sit alongside Tim Allan, former press aide to Sir Tony Blair and the new Number 10 communications chief, in order to improve the media handling of the Budget, which is seen as pivotal for Starmer’s government.This comes after Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s first Budget last October caused a rift with the business sector as she increased employers’ national insurance by £25 billion and sanctioned a big rise in the minimum wage. Already, Business and the City are bracing for higher tax, according to the FT, as Reeves seeks to fill a fiscal hole of at least £20 billion.Rachel Reeves’ previous budget proved unpopular with the business sector More

Former defence secretary Sir Grant Shapps and ex-Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith have signed a letter along with other politicians and former senior military officers to Donald Trump asking him to intervene to block the Chagos deal.Serious concerns remain over the impact on UK and US defence and security with threats to the operational ability of the Diego Garcia case in the Indian Ocean, which Sir Keir Starmer’s government claims it is protecting.The US president has already given the deal with Mauritius his blessing but it was sent to the White House as Sir Keir Starmer pushed through a vote on ratifying the deal in the House of Commons.Trump gave the deal his blessing More

Rachel Reeves has been warned that the decision by a corporate mining giant to close its London HQ and head to Canada should be a “wake up call” on the impact of her economic policies.London-listed mining giant Anglo American has agreed a deal to merge with Canadian rival Teck Resources to create one of the world’s largest copper producers with a combined value of close to £40 billion.But the deal will see Anglo American move its headquarters away from London, with the combined group to be led out of Vancouver in Canada, although it will retain corporate offices in the UK and Johannesburg, South Africa.The move comes as businessman Sir Jim Ratcliffe has also announced he is shifting billions out of the UK, in a further blow to the chancellor.Chancellor Rachel Reeves was present as Sir Keir Starmer told his Cabinet that economic growth is the top priority (Toby Melville/PA) More