UK Lawmakers To Vote On Probe Into Starmer Over Scandal Involving Former US Envoy With Ties To Epstein

Last Updated:April 27, 2026, 21:06 IST

MPs will vote on probing Keir Starmer for allegedly misleading Parliament over Peter Mandelson’s US ambassador appointment, amid vetting, Epstein and police misconduct concerns.

British lawmakers will vote on whether Prime Minister Keir Starmer should face a parliamentary investigation over the Peter Mandelson controversy, the House of Commons speaker announced on Monday.

Speaker Lindsay Hoyle said Members of Parliament will debate on Tuesday whether to refer Starmer to a committee to examine if he misled Parliament over the 2024 appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States.

The move follows mounting pressure from opposition figures, including Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who has accused Starmer of misleading lawmakers by claiming “due process" was followed despite allegations that Mandelson had failed security vetting.

The controversy has become a persistent challenge for Starmer’s government, fuelling calls for his resignation. The prime minister has denied wrongdoing and rejected claims that his office pressured officials to approve the appointment.

Starmer has since dismissed a senior civil servant in the foreign ministry for failing to inform ministers about the vetting issue. Mandelson himself was removed from the ambassadorial role in September 2025 after further scrutiny over his past links to convicted US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Downing Street has dismissed the upcoming debate as politically motivated. A spokesperson described it as “a desperate political stunt" by the Conservatives, insisting the allegations lack substance.

For an inquiry to proceed, a significant number of MPs from Starmer’s own Labour Party would need to support the move, given the party’s strong majority in Parliament.

If approved, the matter would likely be referred to the Privileges Committee, which previously investigated former prime minister Boris Johnson over the “Partygate" scandal, leading to his resignation as an MP in 2023.

Meanwhile, UK police are also investigating Mandelson over separate allegations of misconduct during his earlier tenure as a government minister, adding further pressure to an already high-profile political controversy.

News world UK Lawmakers To Vote On Probe Into Starmer Over Scandal Involving Former US Envoy With Ties To Epstein

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