Peter Mandelson not only betrayed the country and his colleagues, but also the prime minister, whom he purposefully deceived by concealing the full extent of his relationship with Epstein. By withholding these details, Mandelson left the government with only his record to consider, which positioned him as an ideal candidate for the ambassadorship at a tense time in U.K.-U.S. relations.
While Mandelson's actions are heinous enough, they should not distract from the fact that Starmer appointed him as ambassador in the first place. This decision and utter failure of leadership raise serious questions that Downing Street must answer, including how much Starmer really knew and how thorough the original vetting process really was.
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