Starmer-Mandelson latest: I’m sorry for appointing US ambassador and believing his Epstein lies, PM says

For all the chatter, a leadership challenge to the prime minister is unlikely, says John Rentoul, as Labour MPs have yet to be convinced that Angela Rayner, Wes Streeting, Shabana Mahmood or even Ed Miliband could do a better job:

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has called for a confidence vote in the wake of on Mandelson scandal.

He said: “The British people can’t afford for this Labour soap opera to drag on for months or even years, like the Conservative Party did with Boris Johnson.

“We need a government totally focused on ending the cost-of-living crisis, fixing the NHS and care, and getting our economy growing again.

“Keir Starmer should say ‘put up or shut up’. Let’s have a confidence vote now to see whether Labour MPs have any confidence in the prime minister, so the government can get past this one way or the other and start focusing on the change our country needs.”

Michael Gove was exposed by Suella Braverman on social media for a 2025 article titled: “Why Peter Mandelson is the best choice to handle Trump”.

Ms Braverman posted the article saying: “Intriguing how The Spectator forgot to mention this particular misjudgment… “

Lord Gove, responded to the post, saying: “Fair point by @SuellaBraverman - my misjudgment.”

Kemi Badenoch has singled out home secretary Shabana Mahmood as being “better” than her colleagues in government.

Asked whether she admired anyone in the Labour Cabinet, the Tory leader said: “no.”

But she added: “I think Shabana Mahmood is someone who shows that she's better than her colleagues.

“I doubt that they will ever let her have a go, but I think that she is at least honest about the problems that the country is facing, and doesn't pander.”

Kemi Badenoch has made a direct offer to Labour MPs to join her party in seeking a no confidence vote against the Prime minister.

The Tory leader said Sir Keir Starmer's position amid the Lord Peter Mandelson scandal is now "untenable" and "Britain is not being governed" properly with him at the helm.

Speaking at a press conference in Westminster, she said: "It is now up to Labour MPs to do the right thing. I know there are many of them who are horrified by what has happened.

"They might now expect the prime minister to take responsibility but we know he won't. He will have to be dragged out of Number 10, so I am making them an offer.

"If they want the change they know the country needs, come and speak to my whips and let's talk seriously about a vote of no confidence to force the moment."

She added that Sir Keir's "position is clearly untenable but it is for Labour politicians to decide when he goes because it is a question of when and not if he goes".

Labour MP Richard Burgon has questioned why ministers are still claiming they did not know the extent of Lord Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.

He wrote in a social media post: “It's not just that Mandelson's ongoing relationship with Epstein had been reported on as far back as June 2023.

“The Prime Minister also now admits that the Official Security Vetting confirmed this. So why are Ministers still going on TV claiming 'we didn't know'?”

The Independent's political correspondent Millie Cooke reports from East Sussex where the PM is fighting for political survival:

Sir Keir Starmer has tried to undo some of the damage done yesterday when he admitted he knew that Peter Mandelson had some form of relationship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein when he appointed him.

Saying he regrets the appointment, he repeatedly insisted that Mandelson lied to him during the vetting process and claimed that he “barely knew Epstein”.

The PM put in a powerful pitch to persuade his furious party and the public that he is on the same side as them in this row, that he shares their anger. And his anger was visible.

But the PM was vague about exactly what he knew and when - perhaps something that will only be cleared up (or worsened) by the release of the documents.

While today’s press conference is unlikely to do enough to draw a line under the crisis of confidence facing the prime minister, it hasn’t exacerbated it. Which is perhaps the best outcome Starmer could have hoped for today.

Many people in Labour want Morgan McSweeney sacked as Downing Street chief of staff, but there are doubts Keir Starmer would survive as PM without him, Kate Devlin and David Maddox write:

Every minute not spent talking about the cost of living and fighting against the "toxic division of Reform" is a minute wasted, the prime minister has said.

Asked by reporters if his argument against removing him as prime minister is that it would make a Reform government more likely, Sir Keir Starmer said: "My message is that every minute we spent talking about anything other than the cost of living, pride in place, how we stabilise our economy and how we make the massive argument we need to make: that we must unite this country, understand that to be British is to be tolerant, reasonable, compassionate and diverse, and fight for it against the toxic division of Reform.

"Every minute we spend not talking and focusing on that is an absolute minute wasted."