U.K.’s Starmer Under Fresh Scrutiny Over Epstein Fallout

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https://www.wsj.com/world/uk/u-k-s-star ... t-ab3cb30f

LONDON—U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing fresh calls to resign after he was accused of misleading Parliament over the appointment of Peter Mandelson, a longtime friend of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as ambassador to the U.S.

For months, Starmer had insisted that his government followed “due process” in appointing Mandelson as U.S. envoy, telling lawmakers repeatedly that Mandelson had been vetted and cleared by U.K. security services for the post.

On Thursday, it emerged that Mandelson had, in fact, failed his security clearance but was approved for the job anyway.

Starmer said Thursday he wasn’t aware Mandelson had failed his vetting process, and blamed the Foreign Office for misleading him and other cabinet ministers. Late in the day, Starmer fired the top civil service official at the Foreign Office who allegedly overruled the security services and approved the hiring.

“Not only was I not told, no minister was told and I’m absolutely furious about it,” Starmer told reporters on Friday.