'Deputy PM backs Starmer amid ambassador controversy'

The deputy prime minister, who also runs the justice department, has publicly shown his confidence in Prime Minister Keir Starmer after a dispute over the choice of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States. Mandelson, a long‑time Labour figure, was named by Starmer but later removed because of links to the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The decision was made after security officials advised against his appointment, a recommendation that the foreign office overrode without telling Starmer.The deputy prime minister said it is hard to understand why the prime minister was not informed earlier. He added that, if Starmer had known about the negative vetting report, he would not have chosen Mandelson. Starmer has said he will explain everything in parliament next week. Opposition parties want him to step down, but senior Labour colleagues have not spoken out against him. A lawyer for Mandelson did not respond when the news first appeared.