Starmer’s hold on leadership is now being tested as the Epstein documents add fresh allegations about what Mandelson knew and when, according to the Associated Press report. The disclosure comes as anger spreads within Labour over the decision to place Mandelson, a long-time figure in Starmer’s political orbit, on a high-profile diplomatic post.
The controversy traces back to Starmer’s 2024 appointment of Mandelson as ambassador to the United States, a decision that drew criticism after earlier emails were published showing Starmer remained friends with Epstein even after Epstein’s 2008 sex-offense conviction involving a minor. Starmer later dismissed Mandelson in September, after those earlier emails raised questions about Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein.
Now, the newly released documents have become the focus of renewed calls for change. The Associated Press reported that the files include emails suggesting Mandelson passed sensitive information to Epstein in 2009, when Mandelson was in the Labour Cabinet, and that some of that information could be “potentially market-moving.” The report said those allegations have widened the political stakes around Starmer’s judgments and his leadership of Labour’s response to the affair.
Labour lawmakers have pressed Starmer to step aside, the Associated Press said, and the pressure has also been reflected inside the prime minister’s office. Starmer’s chief of staff resigned on Sunday, taking responsibility for advising Starmer to appoint Mandelson. The report also said Starmer’s communications director quit on Monday.
In parallel, the Associated Press said Starmer is trying to persuade Labour members to back him, and that he has apologized to the British public and to Epstein’s sex-trafficking victims for what he called “Mandelson’s lies.” The prime minister’s political survival, according to the report, is being weighed against both the internal party reaction and the prospect of further disclosures tied to Mandelson’s vetting.
There are several potential routes for Starmer to be replaced. The Associated Press described the most straightforward option as a decision by Starmer to announce his intention to resign, which would trigger an election for Labour’s leadership. The report said the resignation could follow if a delegation of Cabinet members tells Starmer he has lost support inside the party, or if members of his government quit in protest.
The Associated Press also said Labour leadership ambitions could fall to several senior figures, including Health Secretary Wes Streeting, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, and former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, whose own path has been complicated by her resignation last year after admitting she did not pay enough tax on a house purchase. The report added that there was “no clear front-runner,” and it noted that Manchester mayor Andy Burnham would not be eligible because of a longstanding convention that the prime minister must be a member of Parliament.
If Starmer resigned immediately, the report said the Cabinet and Labour’s governing body would likely select an interim leader to become prime minister, probably someone who is not standing for the permanent Labour leadership contest. The Associated Press said Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy could fit that interim role, and described Labour’s rules as requiring candidate backing from a fifth of party lawmakers—about 80—before the wider party membership votes to choose the winner. From there, the Associated Press report said King Charles III would invite the winner to become prime minister and form a government.
If Starmer does not resign, the Associated Press said the prime minister could still face a challenge from within his Cabinet. The report noted that, unlike the Conservative Party, Labour lacks a track record of dislodging prime ministers, saying no Labour prime minister has ever been removed—though it cited that Tony Blair announced in 2007 his intention to resign after earlier waves of lower-level departures.
The Associated Press said Starmer is likely to face a series of political hurdles in the weeks ahead, beginning with when files related to Mandelson’s vetting are published and how far those materials support claims about the scale of Mandelson’s lies. It also highlighted the risk around a special election in Gorton and Denton on Feb. 26, traditionally a safe Labour seat, where the report said it would face tougher competition from Reform U.K. on the right and the Greens on the left.
Looking further out, the Associated Press said May elections could intensify concerns inside Labour, including fears of losing power in Wales for the first time since the legislature was created in 1999, falling short in Scotland, and being “battered” in local elections in England. In the midst of that political timetable, the Associated Press report ended with a reminder of how rapidly leadership situations can change, citing Harold Macmillan’s remark: “Events, dear boy, events.”