British premier Starmer to face Commons vote over Mandelson vetting row

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to face a Commons vote on whether MPs should launch a parliamentary investigation into his handling of the vetting of Epstein-linked Lord Mandelson, increasing pressure on the premier.

Mandelson was appointed ambassador to the US in December 2024 but was dismissed in September 2025 after Downing Street said new information had emerged about the extent of his relationship with US convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle said he would allow a debate Tuesday following requests from “numerous” MPs, including Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch. Lawmakers will then decide whether to refer the matter to the Privileges Committee, according to a BBC report.

Starmer has denied claims he misled Parliament over whether Mandelson’s appointment followed “due process” and whether “no pressure whatsoever” was applied to Foreign Office officials.

Downing Street dismissed the move as political, with a spokesperson saying: “This is a desperate political stunt by the Conservative Party the week before the May elections… Their claims have no substance.”

Badenoch, however, accused the prime minister of misleading MPs “multiple times” and urged Labour lawmakers to “look into their consciences.”

She said: “There is still a lot of information that doesn’t add up… What I’m seeing is a prime minister who is saying whatever he needs to save his own skin.”

The row follows Mandelson’s departure from his Washington post after seven months amid scrutiny of his ties to Epstein. Starmer has apologized for the appointment but continues to face questions over the vetting process.

Olly Robbins, a former senior civil servant, told MPs there had been “constant pressure,” though he said it did not affect his decision to grant clearance.

Starmer later said there are “different types of pressure,” adding: “That is the everyday pressure of government.”

Mandelson, long dubbed a political “spin doctor” and the “Prince of Darkness” for his strategic influence, ended his decades-long career with resignations from both the Labour Party and the House of Lords.

Disclosures in the Epstein files show that Jeffrey Epstein made payments totaling about £55,000 ($74,000) between 2003 and 2004 to Mandelson or his partner, Reinaldo Avila da Silva, and covered Silva’s educational expenses.

Emails in the files also suggest Mandelson shared sensitive UK government information with Epstein during the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis.