Starmer faces credibility crisis

It was a week from hell.

- ANITA PRATAP

For British prime minister Keir Starmer, setbacks came in threes and on three fronts—defence, economy and politics. A week earlier, no one would have expected controversies to send the boring lawyer-turned-PM on a roller-coaster ride, desperately clinging on to his seat. Opposition Tory leader Kemi Badenoch declared Starmer “is incompetent or lying. All roads lead to his resignation”.

The third scandal was the worst. Like the grim reaper, sex offender Jeffrey Epstein struck from his grave—again. The Guardian revealed Epstein’s buddy, Peter Mandelson, had failed his “security vetting” in 2024 when Starmer appointed him Britain’s ambassador to the US. Last year, Starmer had sacked Mandelson after Epstein files showed Mandelson had borrowed money, even leaked sensitive documents to Epstein when he was a minister. Following police investigations, Mandelson was arrested and bailed this February.

But