The Story Mandelson, Epstein and the fight for survival at No 10
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Feb 6, 2026 Steve Swinford, political editor at The Times with deep Westminster experience, breaks down the fallout from fresh Epstein files. He covers Mandelson’s long ties to Epstein and the uproar in Labour over Starmer’s judgment. They discuss vetting failures, potential police probes and what this means for Number 10’s stability.
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Starmer’s Admission Damages Trust
- Keir Starmer admitted he knew of Peter Mandelson's post-conviction friendship with Jeffrey Epstein before appointing him.
- That admission has caused a major loss of trust among Labour MPs and triggered calls for accountability.
Vetting Fail Was Superficial
- The Cabinet Office due diligence was described as a two-page, Google 'cut and paste' summary of public material.
- Starmer relied on Mandelson’s denials rather than probing public evidence, which undermined his judgment.
Police Blocked Key Evidence Release
- Scotland Yard blocked Number 10 from releasing Mandelson's written responses citing risk to their investigation.
- That left Starmer unable to publicly prove Mandelson lied, complicating his defence.