"The first tranche of documents relating to Lord Mandelson's employment show that the prime minister was briefed that the former minister had maintained close ties with Jeffrey Epstein even after the paedophile financier was first convicted of procuring an underage girl in 2008, and that hiring him would bring a general reputational risk for the government."
"The files make clear that Sir Keir ignored the warnings after his then chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, and former director of communications, Matthew Doyle, who was described in the documents as a personal friend of Lord Mandelson, appeared to give their support to the Labour peer."
Newly released documents reveal that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was explicitly warned about appointing Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States. The briefings detailed Mandelson's maintained close ties with convicted financier Jeffrey Epstein even after Epstein's 2008 conviction for procuring an underage girl, and flagged general reputational risks for the government. Despite these warnings, Starmer proceeded with the appointment, apparently influenced by support from his then chief of staff Morgan McSweeney and former communications director Matthew Doyle, who was personally close to Mandelson. Following Mandelson's September dismissal, the government paid him a taxpayer-funded £75,000 settlement after he initially demanded over £500,000, seeking to avoid legal proceedings.
Read at www.independent.co.uk
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