Starmer to face questions on Mandelson-Epstein ties as Trump attends joint press conference

Keir Starmer is set to face fresh embarrassment about his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States when he holds a joint press conference with Donald Trump at Chequers later today. Downing Street is preparing for a barrage of questions about what the prime minister knew of Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, and whether that background should have affected his choice for one of Britain’s top diplomatic posts as the Trump presidency looms over the event.

The issue has become more sensitive as Mr. Trump himself has faced questions about his relationship with Epstein. A Whitehall source described the afternoon as fraught: the prime minister does not want to discuss Mandelson, nor Epstein, yet the presence of Trump guarantees that reporters will press on both topics. “The PM does not want to talk about Mandelson at all, let alone Epstein, and everyone is acutely aware that Trump doesn't want to talk about Epstein either. But there are obviously going to be questions and trying to answer them in a way that does not aggravate Trump is a nightmare prospect,” the source said.

Starmer has faced persistent questions about his judgment since publicly backing Mandelson to stay in the post before ultimately sacking him the following day. In a television interview on Monday, the prime minister attempted to shift responsibility to his staff for briefing gaps on Mandelson’s full history with Epstein, whom Starmer had once described as his “best pal.” He also acknowledged that he had known of the pair’s friendship at the time of Mandelson’s December appointment, though he offered mixed explanations for why more information had not been sought after Mandelson warned that further embarrassing details could emerge.

A central element of the controversy centers on the timing and vetting of Mandelson’s appointment. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper disclosed to MPs that Starmer announced Mandelson’s appointment before security services had completed their vetting. Cooper’s remarks amplified internal criticism from within the Foreign Office and among Labour peers about whether No. 10 properly evaluated Mandelson’s suitability for a role as ambassador, especially given his high-profile friendship with Epstein.

Lord Glasman, a Labour peer who has warned against Mandelson’s appointment, said he was told by No. 10 to stop speaking out after raising concerns that Epstein links would surface in the United States. He described a tense dynamic in which he was pressed to remain silent as the matter drew attention in Washington. Glasman has previously said that Mandelson’s links to Epstein had repeatedly been raised with him in the U.S. and called Mandelson “the wrong man at the wrong time in the wrong place.” He recalled being told to “shut up” about the issue and, after resisting, submitting a report that was eventually sidelined.

In a separate thread of the unfolding saga, the Daily Mail reported that Mandelson’s appointment was pushed forward by No. 10 chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, who reportedly saw the former British ambassador as a mentor. McSweeney is described as someone who believed Mandelson’s sway within political and diplomatic circles could be leveraged to smooth the path to closer ties with the incoming Trump administration. Glasman said he had been told by McSweeney about plans to prepare for the Republican administration after Mandelson became the only Labour figure invited to President Trump’s January inauguration.

Trump, for his part, has spent months deflecting questions about his own relationship with Epstein. While Mandelson’s case continues to be debated in London, Trump is believed to have severed ties with Epstein long before the financier’s 2008 sex-offences case and eventual death. Nevertheless, critics have continued to press Mr. Trump over the issue, and demonstrators in Britain have taken striking steps to draw attention to the episode, including projecting a photo of Trump with Epstein onto the walls of Windsor Castle as he arrived for engagements in the U.K. on Tuesday evening.

The joint appearance at Chequers this afternoon places Starmer in a high-stakes setting. The prime minister will be expected to address Mandelson’s appointment, his knowledge of Epstein’s association with Mandelson, and how the vetting process was conducted, while navigating questions about Trump’s own relationship with Epstein and whether strategic discussions with the United States could be affected by those allegations.

Observers note that the exchange is likely to set the tone for how Starmer handles similar inquiries in the weeks ahead, including potential fallout from any further disclosures about Mandelson’s ties and the prime minister’s decision-making process. The event’s timing also matters for Britain’s ongoing dialogue with Washington on trade, security, and policy alignment at a moment when public scrutiny of political judgment remains intense.

As both leaders prepare to speak, Downing Street remains focused on resisting the impulse to engage in prolonged back-and-forth on Epstein while keeping the door open for substantive topics about Anglo-American cooperation. Yet the pressure to address the Mandelson episode head-on—and to do so without inflaming Trump—will likely define the tone of the joint appearance and the broader political narrative surrounding Starmer’s leadership in the weeks ahead.