Mandelson row: British PM again under pressure to resign

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer came under renewed pressure to resign yesterday despite sacking a senior official following news that Britain’s former ambassador to the United States had failed security vetting but was still handed the job.

Starmer, who won the largest majority in modern history for Labour at a national election in 2024, faces fresh questions both over his judgment and his ability to govern, just three weeks before his party is expected to be punished in local elections in England, and regional votes in Scotland and Wales.

Following the resignation of Labour veteran Peter Mandelson as US ambassador over his ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Starmer had managed to win a brief reprieve from his critics after limiting Britain’s role in US President Donald Trump’s and Israel’s war in Iran. However, on Thursday it emerged that Mandelson had failed the security vetting conducted before his appointment as envoy.