UK MPs reject probe into Starmer over Epstein-linked Mandelson appointment

LONDON (MNTV) – British MPs on Tuesday voted against launching a parliamentary inquiry into whether Prime Minister Keir Starmer misled the House of Commons over the vetting of Peter Mandelson, whose past links to Jeffrey Epstein sparked controversy.

In a 335-223 vote, lawmakers rejected a Conservative-led motion to refer Starmer to the Privileges Committee, halting efforts to formally investigate his statements on Mandelson’s appointment as U.K. ambassador to the U.S.

Labour’s majority secured the motion’s defeat after nearly five hours of heated debate. Government ministers dismissed the move as a “political stunt” ahead of upcoming local elections in England and parliamentary votes in Scotland and Wales.

Opposition MPs argued the issue was about accountability, pointing to Starmer’s claims that “full due process” was followed and that there was “no pressure whatsoever” during Mandelson’s vetting.

However, former senior civil servant Olly Robbins told MPs there had been “constant pressure,” though he said it did not influence his final decision.

Starmer later said such pressure was part of routine governance, describing it as “the everyday pressure of government.”

Mandelson, appointed ambassador in December 2024, was dismissed last September after new details emerged about the extent of his relationship with Epstein, who died in prison in 2019.

Once a powerful Labour strategist, Mandelson ended his political career after resigning from both the party and the House of Lords.