Ft Politics

Fresh revelations about Peter Mandelson’s relationship with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have sparked a political explosion in Westminster, reopening questions about Keir Starmer’s decision to return him to the heart of public life. Mandelson, the former UK ambassador to Washington, has resigned from the House of Lords and from the Labour Party, while a criminal investigation has been launched into allegations that he shared sensitive information with Epstein during his time as business secretary under Gordon Brown.Starmer has apologised for appointing Mandelson and pledged to publish the files relating to his vetting for the ambassadorship, but with pressure growing on his leadership, how can the prime minister and the Labour Party hope to move on?Host Lucy Fisher is joined by Jim Pickard, Stephen Bush and Ashley Armstrong to discuss the fallout.Follow the panel on Bluesky - Lucy @lucyfisher.ft.com; Jim @pickardje.bsky.social; and Stephen @stephenkb.bsky.social  Want more? Free links: