UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is facing calls to resign, after police launched an investigation into the former UK Ambassador to the U.S, Peter Mandelson.
Late last month, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) released millions of files relating to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including communications with Mandelson.
Two of Starmer’s staff have quit, while the PM issued an apology to Epstein’s victims.
Some MPs have called for Starmer to step down.
Epstein
Jeffrey Epstein was an American hedge fund manager and convicted sex offender.
In 2008, he served 13 months in jail after pleading guilty to charges related to sex-trafficking minors in a controversial deal.
In 2019, police arrested him again on new federal sex trafficking charges. Epstein was denied bail and died by suicide in his jail cell while awaiting trial.
Epstein was friends with high-profile politicians, celebrities, and the wealthy, some of whom have also been accused of engaging in sexual crimes.
Mandelson
Mandelson has been a senior figure in the UK Labour Party for decades, including serving in the Cabinet in the 2000s.
Media outlets reported Mandelson’s links to Epstein on several occasions between 2019 and 2024.
This included images of Epstein with Mandelson before and after he was charged with child sex offences in 2006.
Starmer appointed him as the UK’s Ambassador to the U.S. in February 2025.
Birthday book
In September 2025, correspondence between Mandelson and Epstein became public.
First, the U.S. Congress committee looking into federal investigations of Epstein released a “birthday book” that had been reported by The Wall Street Journal earlier in the year.
Epstein’s associate, convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell, put the book together for his 50th birthday in 2003.
It included a 10-page message from Mandelson to his “best pal” Epstein, as well as messages from Bill Clinton and Donald Trump.
Then, U.S. financial outlet Bloomberg published emails between Mandelson and Epstein from before, during and after Epstein’s prison sentence for sex trafficking in June 2008.
After learning of his sentence, Mandelson said: “I think the world of you and I feel hopeless and furious about what has happened.”
Following these publications, the UK Government removed Mandelson from his position.
It said the emails showed “the depth and extent of Peter Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein is materially different from that known at the time of his appointment.”
Investigation
On 3 February, London’s Metropolitan Police launched an investigation into Mandelson.
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It said this was sparked bythe U.S. Department of Justice’s release of millions of documents relating to Epstein.
The Met said it received “reports into alleged misconduct in public office,” including from the UK Government.
A spokesperson for Mandelson told the BBC he “did not discover the truth about Epstein until after his death,” and is“profoundly sorry that powerless and vulnerable women and girls were not given the protection they deserved.”
In September, Mandelson told The Sun he “never saw the wrongdoing” by Epstein, “perhaps because I am a gay man”.
Starmer
Last week, Starmer issued an apology to Epstein’s victims following the latest release of the Epstein files.
Starmer said Mandelson “portrayed Epstein as someone he barely knew”.
“When that became clear and it was not true, I sacked him,”Starmer said.
In response to calls for details of Mandelson’s appointment process to be published, Starmer said it is“important that documents are made available to Parliament as soon as possible.”
Resignations
On Sunday (local time), Starmer’s Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney resigned from his position, taking “full responsibility” for Mandelson’s appointment.
The next day, Starmer’s Head of Communications Tim Allan “decided to stand down to allow a new No.10 team to be built,” The Guardian reported.
The UK Prime Minister’s office is located at 10 Downing Street in London.
Multiple MPs, including from Starmer’s party, have called on him to resign.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar held a press conference to share concerns about Starmer’s leadership.
Scotland has an election due in May.
“We cannot allow the failures at theheart of Downing Street to mean thefailures continue here in Scotland,” he said.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage believes Starmer will resign “before very long”.
Responding to the calls, Starmer told a Labour party meeting that he would not step down and has “won every fight [he has] ever been in,” according to the BBC.
Royal family
Separately, police announced aninvestigation into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor for allegedly sharing confidential material with Epstein.
Buckingham Palace released a statement on Monday confirming it would support a police investigation if needed.
A spokesperson for Prince William and Princess Kate told media they were “deeply concerned by the continuing revelations.”
King Charles has been heckled about Mountbatten-Windsor at two public outings.
