'WEAK' STARMER UNDER FIRE FOR MANDELSON 'FIASCO'

KEIR Starmer was branded “weak” last night after finally sacking Peter Mandelson and plunging Labour into further disarray.

- By Martyn Brown and Christian Calgie

The Prime Minister dithered about getting rid of the disgraced peer over his close friendship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

When revelations about the ambassador emerged earlier this week, Sir Keir reaffirmed his support for the US ambassador, insisting he had full confidence in him.

But further leaked emails suggested Lord Mandelson advised the disgraced US financier, whom he had called his "best pal", on how to respond to criminal charges of soliciting a minor in 2008.

His dramatic exit throws the Government deeper into crisis, just week after Angela Rayner's humiliating resignation, with senior politicians suggesting Sir Keir could be "gone by Christmas" himself.

The scandal is now likely to overshadow US president Donald Trump's state visit to the UK next week when he will meet King Charles, as critics accused the Prime Minister of putting the monarch in a "terrible position".

Sir Keir, who selected Lord Mandelson for Washington last December, acted after another cache of messages emerged from the peer to the paedophile.

Downing Street defended the Government's vetting system yesterday, insisting the new emails did not surface at the time of the appointment. And sources claimed the messages were not even available to Lord Mandelson as they were in an old account.

It comes as it was revealed that security services raised concerns over the 71-year-old's nomination, but No10 dismissed them as insufficient to block the role.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, inset, accused the PM of putting "party before country", blasting: "Peter Mandelson is now gone, but Keir Starmer failed yet another key test of leadership.