US ambassador’s outspoken Starmer comments revealed in leaked recording

WorldPolitics
29 Apr 2026 • 12:29 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

US ambassador’s outspoken Starmer comments revealed in leaked recording

  • Britain's ambassador to Washington, Sir Christian Turner, made outspoken comments in a leaked recording, suggesting Sir Keir Starmer was "on the ropes" over the Peter Mandelson affair.
  • Sir Christian indicated that Labour might remove Sir Keir after next month’s local elections if the party performs poorly.
  • He criticised the US political system, noting it was "extraordinary" that the Jeffrey Epstein scandal had not affected anyone in America, unlike in the UK where it impacted a senior royal, a British ambassador, and potentially the prime minister.
  • The ambassador also stated that America's only "special relationship" was "probably Israel," not the UK, and expressed dislike for the term "special relationship" regarding the US and UK.
  • The Foreign Office clarified that these were private, informal comments made to UK students and do not reflect the UK government’s official position.

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