Sir Keir Starmer is expected to face furious Labour MPs on Monday as he battles to keep them onside amid fallout from the Lord Mandelson scandal.
The prime minister’s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney resigned on Sunday over his role in the appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson as US ambassador.
In a statement announcing his resignation, he said he took “full responsibility” for the advice to Sir Keir to appoint Lord Mandelson despite his relationship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The PM is expected to address the parliamentary Labour Party at a meeting on Monday, with a number of MPs calling for him to follow Lord Mandelson and Mr McSweeney out the door.
Brian Leishman, the Labour MP for Alloa and Grangemouth said the prime minister should “question whether he should follow McSweeney’s lead” for the “good of the country”.
Other MPs have backed the prime minister but said Labour must become more “inclusive” if he is to survive in No 10.
Rachael Maskell told BBC Radio 4’s The Westminster Hour if he did not he would find it “difficult to continue”.
Read MoreMorgan McSweeney quits as Keir Starmer’s Downing Street chief of staff over Mandelson scandal
Mandelson urged to hand back payoff after sacking over Epstein link
Mandelson’s US ambassador payoff ‘to be reviewed by government’
A surprise candidate to replace Starmer could neutralise Farage’s voter appeal
Key Points
- Morgan McSweeney quits as Starmer chief of staff
- Starmer says 'it's been an honour' working with McSweeney
- PM appoints new acting chiefs of staff
- 'PMs have to take responsibility', Starmer ally says
- Mandelson payout under review after reports he received five-figure settlement after sacking
- Lammy 'warned' Starmer about Mandelson appointment
Analysis: Starmer’s right hand man has resigned – what does this mean for the future of the PM?
07:15 , Harriette BoucherThe Independent’s Political Editor David Maddox reports:
The name Morgan McSweeney may not have been on the lips of many people down the pub or at the school gate, but it has been one that those in the Westminster bubble are obsessed with.
Now, though, he has become the biggest scalp yet in the rapidly escalating scandal over Peter Mandelson that threatens to also engulf the prime minister.
The departure of the man who was responsible for Sir Keir being the leader of the Labour Party, the architect of the subsequent election victory and central figure in running the government leaves a weak prime minister very badly exposed.
Labour MPs were always aware of the now former Downing Street chief of staff’s power and importance, as something they considered to be either a toxic poison at the heart of government or a means to future preferment and promotion.
Starmer’s right hand man has resigned – what does this mean for the future of the PM?
Keir Starmer expected to address MPs on Monday
07:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe prime minister is expected to address Labour MPs at a meeting on Monday, according to reports.
It comes after the resignation of his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney following a turbulent week for the embattled leader.
He is also expected to give a statement on Mandelson scandal and his top aide Morgan McSweeney’s departure in Commons on Monday afternoon.
Labour MPs call on Starmer to go
06:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneMorgan McSweeney may have resigned, but some Labour MPs have said they believe the prime minister should follow in his footsteps.
Labour MP Brian Leishman said: “There must be a change in political direction and that comes from the very top, so the Prime Minister must look at his own position and question whether he should follow McSweeney’s lead one last time, and resign for the good of the country and the Labour Party.”
But others have backed the PM. Labour MP John Slinger rejected calls for him to follow MRMcSweeney out of the door.
In a statement posted to X, the Rugby MP said: “I have been speaking publicly about how Labour should rally behind the prime minister, how we don’t ditch a leader just because the going gets tough, and how it’s in the national interest for Keir Starmer to stay as prime minister.
“Since I’ve done that, I have been approached in the street by constituents telling me they heard me on the radio and totally agree. I have had CEOs of companies message me to say they agree.
“And I have had people from all around the country, whether Labour or not, saying they think the last thing the country needs is leadership speculations and that we should support the prime minister.”
Everything the PM said after McSweeney's resignation
06:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneSir Keir Starmer was quick to thank his former chief of staff Morgan McSweeney after he handed in his resignation over the Mandelson-Epstein scandal.
The prime minister said: “It’s been an honour working with Morgan McSweeney for many years. He turned our party around after one of its worst ever defeats and played a central role running our election campaign. It is largely thanks to his dedication, loyalty and leadership that we won a landslide majority and have the chance to change the country.
“Having worked closely with Morgan in opposition and in government, I have seen every day his commitment to the Labour Party and to our country. Our party and I owe him a debt of gratitude, and I thank him for his service.”
Who are Sir Keir Starmer's new acting chiefs of staff?
05:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneSir Keir Starmer is beginning the week with two new acting chiefs of staff in post following the resignation of Morgan McSweeney.
Vidhya Alakeson and Jill Cuthbertson have been named as Mr McSweeney’s replacements, at least for time time being.
Ms Alakeson has responsibility for policy and delivery and has managed Downing Street’s external relationships.
Before Labour entered office, she forged ties with the business community as the party’s director of external relations.
The former Resolution Foundation think tank deputy chief executive served in the No 10 strategy unit and in the Treasury during the last Labour government.
Ms Cuthbertson has managed the Prime Minister’s diary and has been described as the ultimate gatekeeper to Sir Keir.
She ran his office when he was leader of the opposition, having previously held similar roles for former Labour leaders Ed Miliband and Gordon Brown.
Watch: Gordon Brown backs Keir Starmer over Mandelson scandal
05:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneMorgan McSweeney's resignation statement in full
05:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe prime minister’s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney resigned on Sunday following furore over the government’s handling of the Mandelson-Epstein scandal.
Below is his resignation letter in full:
“After careful reflection, I have decided to resign from the government.
“The decision to appoint Peter Mandelson was wrong. He has damaged our party, our country and trust in politics itself.
“When asked, I advised the Prime Minister to make that appointment and I take full responsibility for that advice.
“In public life responsibility must be owned when it matters most, not just when it is most convenient. In the circumstances, the only honourable course is to step aside.
“This has not been an easy decision. Much has been written and said about me over the years but my motivations have always been simple: I have worked every day to elect and support a government that puts the lives of ordinary people first and leads us to a better future for our great country.
“Only a Labour government will do that.
“I leave with pride in all we have achieved mixed with regret at the circumstances of my departure.
“But I have always believed there are moments when you must accept your responsibility and step aside for the bigger cause. As I leave I have two further reflections:
“Firstly, and most importantly, we must remember the women and girls whose lives were ruined by Jeffrey Epstein and whose voices went unheard for far too long.
“Secondly, while I did not oversee the due diligence and vetting process, I believe that process must now be fundamentally overhauled. This cannot simply be a gesture but a safeguard for the future.
“I remain fully supportive of the Prime Minister. He is working every day to rebuild trust, restore standards and serve the country. I will continue to back that mission in whatever way I can. It has been the honour of my life to serve."
Mandelson’s US ambassador payoff ‘to be reviewed by government’
04:00 , Shaheena UddinA reported five-figure payoff received by Peter Mandelson as part of his exit package when he was sacked as US ambassador is being reviewed by the Foreign Office, it has been reported.
Lord Mandelson was fired over his relationship with the disgraced US financier Jeffrey Epstein, and anger in Westminster has intensified after the latest release of documents, which indicated he leaked information to his friend while he was a government minister.
The Independent reporter, Nicole Wootton-Cane reports:
Sacked US ambassador Mandelson’s payoff ‘to be reviewed by government’
Defiant Starmer to take Labour message to country despite calls for him to quit over Mandelson
03:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe Independent’s political editor David Maddox reports:
A defiant Keir Starmer is going to try to put himself front and centre of his beleaguered government’s fightback next week as calls grow for him to resign over the Mandelson scandal.
Downing Street has confirmed that the prime minister will be “out and about making the case for why [his Labour] government is delivering for working people” around the country next week as the fury over his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US escalates.
Starmer to take Labour message to country despite quit calls over Mandelson scandal
Watch: Starmer acted in 'good faith' over Mandelson, says McFadden
02:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneEditorial: Keir Starmer’s judgement should be questioned, but talk of change is premature
01:00 , Nicole Wootton-Cane Keir Starmer’s judgement should be questioned, but talk of change is premature
Starmer’s deputy warns Mandelson scandal will impact crucial by-election
00:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe Independent’s political editor David Maddox and Whitehall editor Kave Devlin report:
Sir Keir Starmer’s deputy leader has warned the upcoming by-election in Gorton and Denton is a “dry run” for a general election as the prime minister – wounded by the Peter Mandelson scandal – faces a battle to cling on to the historically safe Labour seat.
Lucy Powell told The Independent that the vote, on 26 February, represents “a line in the sand” in Labour’s fight to stop the advance of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.
But she admitted she expects the Mandelson issue to come up on the doorstep, and she could not say that Labour was confident of retaining the seat or if the prime minister will show his face there.
More below:
Starmer’s deputy warns Mandelson scandal will impact crucial by-election
Sir Keir Starmer to face furious MPs tomorrow
Sunday 8 February 2026 23:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneSir Keir Starmer is set to face furious MPs on Monday as he battles to keep his premiership alive.
The prime minister will meet with the parliamentary Labour party on Monday morning in a bid to reassure his own party he is listening to their concerns.
He is also expected to give a statement on Mandelson scandal and his top aide Morgan McSweeney’s departure in Commons on Monday afternoon.
Lammy 'warned' Starmer about Mandelson appointment
Sunday 8 February 2026 23:00 , Shaheena UddinSir Keir Starmer is facing further backlash as it emerged that deputy prime minister David Lammy warned the leader about appointing Lord Peter Mandelson as US ambassador amid his links to Jeffrey Epstein.
Friends and allies of Lammy told the Telegraph he had been against the appointment of Mandelson and in favour of an extension of Dame Karen Pierce’s term in the role due to her connections to President Donald Trump’s inner circle.
Mr Starmer is said to be “devastated” over the scandal and contemplating whether to stay as PM, according to the publication.
New anti-corruption commission cannot guard against a PM's bad judgement, says Tory
Sunday 8 February 2026 22:30 , Shaheena UddinGordon Brown, who brought Peter Mandelson back into government in 2008, has been speaking out about his former business secretary, and calling for new anti-corruption measures to prevent the leaking of documents from government, which Mandelson is accused of doing.
Senior Tory Alex Burghart was asked if if a new anti-corruption commission would be a good idea, by Sky's Trevor Phillips and he responded: "It depends [on] what that commissioner would do, what their powers were, and who they were.
"I think it's very easy for politicians to, in a moment like this, say, 'if there was only one additional role then everything would be fine'.
"What's happened in this instance is that the prime minister had a clear choice, he had clear information, and he made a bad decision.
"And ultimately, there's nothing that can really guard you against that."
Starmer must make Labour more inclusive, MP says
Sunday 8 February 2026 22:06 , Nicole Wootton-CaneIf Sir Keir Starmer has not understood he needs to make the Labour Party inclusive, “he will find it very difficult to continue”, Rachael Maskell said.
The Labour MP told BBC Radio 4’s The Westminster Hour: “Let’s listen very carefully over the coming days to see that Keir Starmer has really understood how serious it is, the situation, what he has to do to build that inclusive party.
“And if he can achieve that, if he puts the agenda of inclusion, of building the confidence that he’s going to address those inequalities, not just in his party but across the country, then of course we will see where we get to.
“But if he cannot do that, if he hasn’t understood the seriousness of the situation, then I think he will find it very difficult to continue.”
On the departure of the prime minister’s top aide, Ms Maskell said: “Morgan’s McSweeney’s position was untenable so it is right that he has moved on.
“But still there are questions to be answered about his legacy, how decisions were made… So we do need lots of questions still answering before our confidence can be moved forward.”
PM 'didn't understand the scale of risk' when warned of Mandelson
Sunday 8 February 2026 22:00 , Shaheena UddinMaurice Glasman, Labour peer, told Sky's Trevor Phillips that he advised the prime minister's chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, against the appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador.
He explained that after attending Donald Trump's inauguration as president in January 2025, he gave a briefing document to No 10 advising on "the scale of change" that the new administration would bring.
People approached Mr Glasman with photos of Mandelson with Jeffrey Epstein, when he was in Washington and he relayed all this to No10.
"What I wrote was he was the wrong man in the wrong place at the wrong time.
"I mean, it was a very inappropriate choice because [...] this issue of Epstein is massive in the States - I don't think then, a year ago, we understood the resonance of this story.
"This fulfils all the criteria of the international Jewish conspiracy, the financial elites, paedophilia - it's a massive thing in the States. Now it's here."
Vidhya Alakeson and Jill Cuthbertson: Who are Starmer’s new joint chiefs of staff?
Sunday 8 February 2026 21:58 , Nicole Wootton-CaneShortly after Morgan McSweeney’s resignation was announced, staff were informed he had turned to Mr McSweeney’s two deputies, Vidhya Alakeson and Jill Cuthbertson, to replace him as the new joint chiefs of staff for the struggling Downing Street operation.
Who are the two women tasked with righting the course of Sir Keir’s administration?
The Independent’s political editor David Maddox has more below:
Vidhya Alakeson and Jill Cuthbertson: Who are Starmer’s new joint chiefs of staff?
It’s time to end impunity for those on the edge of treason
Sunday 8 February 2026 21:20 , Shaheena UddinBritain has been enfeebled by years of top-level scandals that has gone unpunished, writes world affairs editor Sam Kiley.
No wonder young people don’t feel their country is worth fighting for.
It’s time to end impunity for those on the edge of treason
Staff forced to resign after accusation of leaking Mandelson's details shares thoughts
Sunday 8 February 2026 21:00 , Shaheena UddinIn 1999, Gordon Brown's former spokesman, Charlie Whelan, resigned for allegedly leaking information about Mandelson not disclosing an interest-free loan of £373,000 from former paymaster general Geoffrey Robinson.
In recent events, Pater Mandelson received a payment of up to £55,000 before deductions after being fired as US ambassador in September.
This has sparked a reaction from a staff member forced to resign from government nearly three decades ago - for allegedly leaking about Mandelson.
When I was forced to resign from government having been falsely accused of leaking details of Mandelson’s dodgy house loan I got a pay off of err nothing! Not complaining. Just saying.
— charlie whelan (@charliewhelan) February 8, 2026
Watch: Mcfadden: Mandelson should give payoff to charity
Sunday 8 February 2026 20:40 , Shaheena UddinMP questions government on the reasons for Mandelson's pay off after he was fired
Sunday 8 February 2026 20:20 , Shaheena UddinConservative MP Alicia Kearns wrote to the government to establish the facts surrounding Lord Mandelson's pay-off after he was fired as UK ambassador to the US, because of his links to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
She initially received no response but was eventually told that her letter was mislaid and they were not deliberately avoiding her questions.
Ms Kearns said: "So the big question that I would love to see everyone asking of the prime minister and others is on what basis was Mandelson fired?", she told presenter Barbara Serra on Sky News.
Kearns explained that if Mandelson was fired for misconduct in public offence - a potential offence police are now assessing - "all contractual niceties that allow him to take away these sorts of big payments should have been null and void".
'PMs have to take responsibility', Starmer ally says
Sunday 8 February 2026 20:00 , Shaheena UddinCabinet minister Pat McFadden said: "the prime minister [has] acted in good faith" in terms of his appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador, he told Sky New's Trevor Phillips this morning.
Mr McFadden said: "In the end, this is about the prime minister, and I think that he's horrified by what's happened.
"He's issued an apology to the victims, and he will definitely wish he never made this appointment.
"But the real person who could have saved him from this was Peter Mandelson himself."
Mr McFadden has now suggested Lord Mandelson give the money back and donate it to violence against women and girls charity.
McFadden also claims he does not recall discussing Mandelson with the prime minister ahead of the appointment, despite having served under the former business secretary in Gordon Brown's government.
PM expected to address MPs at PLP meeting on Monday
Sunday 8 February 2026 19:49 , Nicole Wootton-CaneSir Keir Starmer is expected to address MPs at a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party on Monday, it is understood.
Earlier today, it was reported that the prime minister also hopes to provide an update as soon as Monday on how the government is addressing the issues highlighted by the Lord Mandelson scandal.
'Worst political scandal of my lifetime', senior Tory says
Sunday 8 February 2026 19:45 , Shaheena UddinConservative shadow minister Alex Burghart told Sky News’s Trevor Phillips programme this morning:
“This administration under Keir Starmer has failed. It has U-turned, I think, what, 14 or 15 times now.
“It has had two resets in the past five months, and it is now caught up in the worst political scandal of my lifetime.
“And it’s time for a new type of politics. I think that type of politics is embodied by Kemi Badenoch, who is honest, straight-talking and decent, and I’m very proud to be part of her shadow cabinet.”
RMT union boss says Starmer should resign
Sunday 8 February 2026 19:37 , Nicole Wootton-CaneEddie Dempsey, the head of the RMT, which is not affiliated to Labour, has said he believes Sir Keir Starmer should stand down.
The union boss told The Telegraph: “The Labour government is being held back by an elitist faction epitomised by Morgan McSweeney whose resignation is long overdue.
“However, the vestiges of New Labour are poisoning the well of the entire movement, opening the door to electoral defeat by alienating millions of working class voters in Labour heartlands.
“New Labour created a toxic political culture where the Labour leadership turned on trade unionists, and abandoned workers in favour of a corrupt wealthy elite, epitomised by Mandelson lobbying for bankers bonuses during the crash as ordinary people lost their homes and jobs.
“Mandelson’s association with a notorious paedophile and Starmer’s decision to hire him as US ambassador could be fatal for this government unless the Labour Party changes its leadership and starts organising society in the interests of working people, rather than doffing the cap to the money markets, spivs and speculators.”
Your Party to stand in 2026 Holyrood election
Sunday 8 February 2026 19:20 , Shaheena UddinIn other news...
Your Party members have voted to stand in the 2026 Holyrood election, with the party’s co-founder Zarah Sultana saying Scotland deserves better than “a politics that wears the veneer of progressivism”.
The vote took place during the founding conference of Your Party Scotland in Dundee, with 69.8 per cent of the party’s members backing the move.
The process for selecting candidates and developing policy is now expected to begin as early as next week.
he Coventry South MP said: “While this Westminster Government oppresses people abroad, it punishes people in Scotland too, across the NHS, local government, schools and community services, people feel the strain.
“Budgets tighten, expectations for managed decline is presented as realism.
“And what’s striking is how often that settlement is backed by parties who claim to be progressive, a political class that is managing cuts and scarcity instead of fighting for transformation.
“Scottish people deserve better than a politics that wears the veneer of progressivism while still pushing through cuts that decimate our communities, and that’s what you get with the SNP and the Greens.”
“In fact, you deserve better than that, and Your Party exists to oppose cuts, and I’m glad that you have voted to put candidates on a no-cuts platform, because that is the socialist position.”
Earlier Jeremy Corbyn addressed the founding conference of Your Party Scotland in Dundee, and said if the people of Scotland want to hold an independence referendum, “that is their choice.”
Mr Corbyn, who currently sits in Westminster as an independent MP, said: “As far as I’m concerned, I’ve always had the position that if the people in Scotland and the Scottish organisations want a referendum to decide the future of Scotland, that is their choice.
“It should not be determined by the UK Government in Westminster, and I think we have to make that very, very clear indeed.”
Mandelson appointment was 'about male power and a boys club', says Labour peer
Sunday 8 February 2026 19:00 , Shaheena UddinLabour peer, Ayesha Hazarika said there is "no doubt that the prime minister is wracked with upset and frustration and regret this weekend as this story is blowing up", she told Sky New’s Trevor Phillips' panel this morning.
But she added: "This has been an absolutely shameful week for the Labour Party, particularly a party which has always prided itself on wanting to stand up for women and girls.
"I have never known rage and fury and devastation particularly from female MPs, peers, councillors, party members as I have over this last week."
More broadly, Hazarika said this is "a story about male power and a boys club", and said the Epstein files showed "who runs the world, who has unfettered power, and how these men connect with each other, how they do transactions with each other and how they think they can act with impunity, whether it's the procuring of underage girls, whether it's leaking kind of secret information about state secrets to each other".
She asked why there was "not more curiosity of mind" when it came to Peter Mandelson, and questioned why he was considered the best person for the job.
Hazarika continued: "Everybody knew that Peter Mandelson swam in these circles, that he mixed around with these big guys - he was seduced by wealth, and power, and men with yachts, and all the culture that goes with that.
"That is why he was given the job, because the calculation was: 'these are the slightly tawdry circles in which the US president moves, and we need a guy that swims in these pools, sits in these hot tubs, if you like, with these big guys - they can do business together'.
"And that transactional thought was put over the victims."
She added that Labour has to ask "some very reflective, soul-searching questions" about why it has been "so seduced" by Mandelson over so many decades.
Rachael Maskell says culture in Labour Party must steer away from 'factionalism'
Sunday 8 February 2026 18:48 , Nicole Wootton-CaneReacting to Morgan McSweeney’s departure as Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff, Labour MP for York Central Rachael Maskell told the Press Association: “It is a start, but we need to know how decisions have been made in the Labour Party, including the role of Peter Mandelson and Morgan McSweeney’s ‘kitchen cabinet’, and how this whole culture will turn away from the factionalism to an inclusive culture which seeks to listen and engage MPs and prevent future errors over policy.”
It has been reported that Mr McSweeney convened a “kitchen cabinet” of Labour figures, including Lord Mandelson, for dinners at the house of Labour grandee Lord Liddle when the party was in opposition.
Who are new chiefs of staff Vidhya Alakeson and Jill Cuthbertson?
Sunday 8 February 2026 18:35 , Nicole Wootton-CaneVidhya Alakeson and Jill Cuthbertson, who were Morgan McSweeney’s deputies, have been appointed Sir Keir Starmer’s joint acting chiefs of staff following Mr McSweeney departure.
Ms Alakeson has responsibility for policy and delivery and has managed Downing Street’s external relationships.
Before Labour entered office, she forged ties with the business community as the party’s director of external relations.
The former Resolution Foundation think tank deputy chief executive served in the No 10 strategy unit and in the Treasury during the last Labour government.
Ms Cuthbertson has managed the prime minister’s diary and has been described as the ultimate gatekeeper to Sir Keir.
She ran his office when he was leader of the opposition, having previously held similar roles for former Labour leaders Ed Miliband and Gordon Brown.
Starmer's position is 'untenable' says Tory Cabinet office chief
Sunday 8 February 2026 18:20 , Shaheena UddinKeir Starmer's position as prime minister is "untenable" after the Mandelson “disaster” a senior Tory has said.
Alex Burghart, the Conservative Party's shadow Cabinet Office chief, told Trevor Phillips on Sky News’s Sunday Morning programme that this whole affair is "about the prime minister's judgement" and is "very serious".
Mr Burghart said: "The most dramatic piece of evidence" against the prime minister himself this week in the Mandelson affair, which was his admission at Prime Minister's Questions that "he knew that Peter Mandelson had an ongoing relationship with the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein when he appointed him to be ambassador in Washington".
"This obviously throws the prime minister's judgement into the most serious question, to the point where it's clear that a lot of people in his party no longer trust him," he said.
"The prime minister must ultimately take responsibility for this because, at the moment, he's refusing to do so," he continued.
Burghart also described Mandelson's appointment as ambassador to the US as a "disaster".
PM appoints acting chiefs of staff, reports say
Sunday 8 February 2026 18:05 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe prime minister has asked Jill Cuthbertson and Vidhya Alakeson to be acting chiefs of staff, with immediate effect, The Guardian has reported.
Both have served as deputy chiefs of staff since 2024.
'McSweeney made a mistake - but he is not alone': Labour MP defends ex-chief of staff
Sunday 8 February 2026 17:54 , Nicole Wootton-CaneLabour MP Gordon McKee has posted a lengthy defence of Morgan McSweeney on social media, saying the ex-chief of staff was “not alone” in his mistakes.
“As a member of staff he doesn't get to rebut the nonsense that is said about him,” Mr McKee wrote. “I have known him personally for six years, and he is one of the most decent people that I've ever met in politics. He is thoughtful, kind and extremely clever.”
He went on to say Mr McSweeney would be “appalled” by the revelations about Peter Mandelson and thinking of the victims of Epstein's horrific crimes.
How did Mandelson respond to the Epstein scandal?
Sunday 8 February 2026 17:40 , Shaheena UddinPreviously, when the Epstein revelations came to light, Mandelson said: "I was wrong to believe Epstein following his conviction [in 2008 for procuring a child for prostitution and of soliciting a prostitute] and to continue my association with him afterwards. I apologise unequivocally for doing so to the women and girls who suffered."
And in an interview with The Times, Lord Mandelson referred to a "handful of misguided historical emails, which I deeply regret sending".
PM expected to give update 'as soon as Monday', reports say
Sunday 8 February 2026 17:22 , Nicole Wootton-CaneSir Keir Starmer hopes to provide an update as soon as Monday on how the government is addressing the issues highlighted by the Lord Mandelson scandal, the Press Association understands.
The prime minister and Morgan McSweeney had decided it was the right time to move on, but the government’s policy agenda and commitment to its economic strategy has not changed, it is understood.