Commenting on the Prime Minister's judgement, following the eventual sacking of Lord Mandelson, Richard Fuller MP said:
Last week at PMQs, Kemi Badenoch repeatedly raised concerns about the appointment of Lord Mandelson as our country’s ambassador to the United States.
The Prime Minister (repeatedly) told the House of Commons that due process and checks had been carried out prior to the appointment of Lord Mandelson.
The Prime Minister told MPs that Lord Mandelson had his support.
The Prime Minister, however, dramatically lost MPs - not just Opposition MPs but many on his own side - when he seemed to suggest that, because Mandelson had expressed regret at his close relationship with his ‘best pal’, the paedophile, Jeffrey Epstein, all was fine.
Keir Starmer also appeared oblivious to the business deal that Mandelson, whilst a government Minister, had brokered with Epstein, AFTER the latter had been convicted of child sex offences and trafficking.
It was already clear then to many MPs that it would be impossible for Lord Mandelson to continue representing the UK.
The Prime Minister has now bowed to the inevitable and removed (for the 3rd time) Peter Mandelson from public office.
Some previous Prime Ministers have had lapses of judgement- some serially so.
I do appreciate that it is hard for leaders to get everything right and that the media lens can be unforgiving.
It does however seem to me that Sir Keir Starmer’s judgement on appointments is letting him down.
He seems to have a blindspot for how wrongdoing is seen by the public. As a result, his claim that he would bring integrity back to politics now lacks credibility.
An anti-corruption Minister who had to go because she was under investigation for corruption, a Housing Minister who underpaid her stamp duty, and a Transport Secretary who lied to police about a mobile phone theft.
It’s not a good look for the Prime Minister but, worse, it further erodes public trust in our politics.
