Starmer’s standing on world stage ‘diminished’, MPs are told

Sir Keir Starmer's standing on the world stage has been “diminished”, Parliament has heard, as MPs scrutinised the Prime Minister's decision to appoint Lord Peter Mandelson.

- PA POLITICAL REPORTERS

Kemi Badenoch accused Sir Keir of “hiding from Parliament” because he was not present for the emergency debate on the former US ambassador's dismissal and his relationship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Conservative former minister Sir David Davis argued there are double standards applied to those of “Labour royalty’, with Lord Mandelson retaining the Labour whip.

The debate came ahead of US President Donald Trump's state visit to the UK, which Conservative leader Mrs Badenoch said risks being overshadowed by scandal.

“It is extraordinary - extraordinary - that on the eve of the president's state visit, we are talking about the US ambassador who's been sacked in scandal,’ she told the Commons.

Mrs Badenoch urged the government to apologise to Epstein’s victims, adding: “The Prime Minister needs to come clean about what he knew and when he knew it, not send his junior ministers to cover for him.

“The Prime Minister needs to publish the Mandelson-Epstein files in full.

“The Prime Minister needs to take responsibility for the appointment of Lord Mandelson as ambassador to Washington. But the Prime Minister is not here because he is hiding from Parliament, hiding from questions.”

Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty said the Prime Minister and the government are “focused on deepening our special relationship with the United States”