Mandelson’s Unexpected Late-Night Questioning Puts Starmer on Edge as MPs React 167 Days Post PM’s Confidence in Disgraced Ex-Ambassador

Keir Starmer finds himself navigating a new wave of trouble today as he attempts to manage discontent within the Labour Party following the arrest of Lord Mandelson.

The Prime Minister is under pressure to ensure ‘maximum accountability’ after the influential New Labour figure was apprehended by police at his London residence. The arrest, which took place at the unusual hour of 4:15 pm, has sparked curiosity and concern.

After being interrogated until the early morning, the peer was released on bail regarding allegations of leaking sensitive information to the controversial financier Jeffrey Epstein during his tenure as business secretary.

This development poses a significant challenge to Sir Keir’s efforts to solidify his leadership, especially after a recent coup attempt nearly unseated him just two weeks ago.

Controversy swirls among MPs following his controversial decision to appoint Lord Mandelson as the US ambassador, despite awareness of Mandelson’s long-standing connections to Epstein. Merely 167 days ago, Starmer expressed ‘full confidence’ in the peer, only to dismiss him shortly thereafter.

Shortly before the arrest Sir Keir made his first visit to Gorton & Denton, where Labour is desperately trying to hold on in a crucial by-election on Thursday. 

Earlier, Sir Keir had used an email to his MPs to promise to ‘listen’ to them more and change the ‘culture’ in Downing Street. He has already signalled a lurch to the Left as he struggles to survive.   

Peter Mandelson has been released on bail after being quizzed late into the night over allegations he leaked sensitive information to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein during his time as business secretary

Mandelson arrives home in the early hours of Tuesday 

The disgraced former minister Peter Mandelson was led away by detectives from the Metropolitan Police’s Special Investigations Team yesterday afternoon 

Before the arrest Keir Starmer went to Gorton & Denton yesterday, where a crucial by-election is taking place

Labour backbencher Bell Ribeiro-Addy said last night that there had been ‘issues of poor judgment’ and it was damaging politics across the spectrum.

‘What we need to get to a point of now is trying to get to a point of maximum accountability,’ she told Channel 4 News.

‘There should be a wide-ranging investigation into all these things.

‘The major issue has been the damage of trust between us and the British public, and they need to feel that something’s being done about it.’

Lord Mandelson was led away by detectives from the Metropolitan Police’s Special Investigations Team – the unit dubbed the Yard’s ‘Celeb Squad’ – on suspicion of misconduct in public office yesterday afternoon.

Nine hours later at around 1.15am the 72-year-old was pictured as he was driven out of Wandsworth Police Station.

He left the station in a black car accompanied by three other people but shortly after arrived home in a London black cab. He remained silent and downcast as he walked into his house.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: ‘A 72-year-old man arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office has been released on bail pending further investigation.

‘He was arrested at an address in Camden on Monday, 23 February and was taken to a London police station for interview.

‘This follows search warrants at two addresses in the Wiltshire and Camden areas.

‘We are not able to provide further information at this stage to prevent prejudicing the integrity of the investigation.’

The Government had yesterday pledged to release documents relating to the appointment of Lord Mandelson as US ambassadoe. 

MPs were told that the first bundle would be published ‘very shortly in early March’. But Mandelson’s arrest has now cast doubt over that timeline.

Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones said Scotland Yard had advised against releasing some exchanges between Downing Street and the Labour grandee for fear of prejudicing any potential prosecution.

Mandelson stands in white underwear talking to a woman in a bathing robe in a photo though to be snapped in Epstein’s Paris home

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said: ‘Mandelson’s arrest is the defining moment of Keir Starmer’s premiership.

‘It wasn’t long ago the PM looked me in the eye at PMQs and said he had ‘full confidence’ in Mandelson.

‘Time to release the Mandelson files in full. We must know who knew what and when. No more delays.’

In his email to MPs, Sir Keir committed to hosting more ‘policy roundtables’ in No10 and said advice would be ‘taken seriously and acted upon’.

‘I recognise this is not simply about process, it is about culture,’ he added, according to the i newspaper.