Sir Keir Starmer is facing fresh pressure after new revelations over Lord Peter Mandelson. The first tranche of papers relating to the former Labour grandee’s appointment as US ambassador was released on Wednesday.

The files revealed that the Prime Minister was warned of a “general reputational risk” of handing the peer the plum Washington job due to the ex-minister’s links with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The documents also showed national security adviser Jonathan Powell believed the process was “weirdly rushed”.

Following the release, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said Labour MPs should consider whether Sir Keir is “fit to run our country” after being “dishonest with them, with the country, with Parliament, about what he knew”.

The Prime Minister has insisted Lord Mandelson “lied repeatedly” to Downing Street about his relationship with the billionaire paedophile, before and during his tenure as US ambassador.

Lord Mandelson was given a £75,000 taxpayer-funded payout when he was sacked nine months after being handed the role, when further details of his relationship with the financier emerged.

The Prime Minister has faced ongoing questions over his judgement in making a political appointment to place Lord Mandelson in Washington, rather than giving the role to a career diplomat.

The peer was arrested on February 23 on suspicion of misconduct in public office, having been accused of passing sensitive information to Epstein during his time as business secretary in Gordon Brown’s government.

He was subsequently bailed, but later released from his bail conditions, although he remains under investigation.