Conservative MP Richard Holden made his feelings about the Peter Mandelson scandal known on GB News
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been slammed by Conservative MP Richard Holden over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador to Washington as evidence emerged of his close friendship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The MP for Basildon and Billericay, told GB News Breakfast hosts Eamonn Holmes and Ellie Costello there are “questions to be asked” surrounding the claims that Jeffrey Epstein brokered a deal with the peer over the sale of a UK taxpayer-owned banking business.
“There are incredibly serious questions to get answers to here,” he said. “I think it’s absolutely vital that they are answered very, very quickly indeed, the fact that this has all only come to light now. I mean, surely the Prime Minister knew about all of these issues before appointing Peter Mandelson to one of the most senior roles. There are huge questions there,” he insisted. He also queried how this was missed by Starmer claimning this should have been looked into at “the closest levels”.
Richard Holden spoke to Ellie Costello and Eamonn Hol;mes on GB News (Image: GB News)
“Personally I find it very difficult to believe that in… a file for somebody, when they are coming forwards for one of the most senior diplomatic positions, incredibly interlinked to our closest military ally, with all of that at their fingertips, with all of our diplomatic and intelligence security information at their fingertips, that this sort of thing wouldn’t have been looked into at the closest levels by the Prime Minister,” he said.
Damning documents included in a release of the Epstein files, published by the US House Oversight Committee included a 10-page birthday message sent by Lord Mandelson for Epstein’s 50th in 2003.
They included messages branding the notorious paedophile his “best pal”, and captioning of photo of him and Ghislaine Maxwell: “Leaving you with some ‘interesting’ friends to entertain instead…”
The documents shine new light on the top Labour figure’s relationship with Epstein, after first emerging in 2023.
Keir Starmer was slammed by a Conservative MP on GB News (Image: Getty)
Amid growing calls for him to resign or be sacked, Mandelson has finally broken his silence on the friendship. He branded the published images and letters “very embarrassing to see and to read”, but insisted: “They were written before he was indicted.
“I feel a profound sense of sympathy for those people, those women, who suffered as a result of his behaviour and his illegal criminal activities. And secondly I regret very very deeply indeed carrying on that association with him for far longer than I should have done.
“It was a matter of years after I initially met him. I regret very much that I fell for his lies, and accepted assurances he had given me about his indictment, his original criminal case in Florida. Like many people, I took at face value what he said.
“With hindsight… we realised we had been wrong to believe him. A charismatic, criminal liar… I felt it like an albatross around my neck since his death in 2019.”
