Sir Keir Starmer's future as prime minister is hanging in the balance after he admitted he was warned about Lord Mandelson's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein before making him US ambassador.
Speaking at the House of Commons, Starmer confessed that he had been aware of the close relationship between the pair, including that Mandelson stayed at Epstein's apartment in Manhattan while the financier was in prison for offences involving children.
While the prime minister said Mandelson had lied to him about the extent of his friendship with Epstein, that did little to quell the anger among Labour MPs.
The Times reports one cabinet minister said the appointment of Mandelson was “very hard to defend” and was “yet another self-inflicted wound”.
Another described it as "terminal" for Starmer's position as PM.
Labour peer Baron Hutton of Furness told LBC Starmer's handling of the scandle "could well mark the end of the prime minister’s time in office”.
Labour MP Paula Barker told the BBC she was "disappointed" and "sickened" to hear Starmer admit that he was aware of Mandelson's ongoing friendship with the late Jeffrey Epstein when he appointed him last year, adding that the "country deserves better".
Lord Beamish, the chair of Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC), told the BBC he will demand "maximum transparency" from the government when it hands over documents surrounding Mandelson's appoinment, including the vetting process.