3 h. ago Yvette Cooper defends Keir Starmer as Labour anger grows over Peter Mandelson row

Yvette Cooper was pressed on whether the Prime Minister's judgement is in question over the appointment of Peter Mandelson after backbencher Clive Lewis suggested Keir Starmer may not be 'up to the job'

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5 h. ago Starmer not ‘up to the job’, Labour MP says after Mandelson scandal

Clive Lewis, MP for Norwich South, said there was a ‘very dangerous atmosphere’ in the parliamentary Labour party.

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5 h. ago Martin Rowson on Labour’s problems with Keir Starmer and Peter Mandelson – cartoon

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14 h. ago If Keir Starmer’s Labour can’t satisfy the unions, another party will | Andy Beckett

At this year’s TUC conference, I found cautious optimism about the employment rights bill – and a resurgent left looking to capture hearts and mindsSign up for our new weekly newsletter Matters of Opinion, where our columnists and writers will reflect on what they’ve been debating, thinking about, reading and more‘Unions winning” declared a giant, cheerily multicoloured sign along the windy seafront side of the Brighton Centre this week. Built in the unions’ distant 1970s heyday, the hulking traditional venue for their annual TUC conference is sometimes a melancholy place, windowless meeting rooms half-full of delegates and union leaders trying to raise their spirits while talking about setbacks, betrayals and rare victories.Yet for much of this conference the sun was out, the wind was light by Brighton standards and, inside the centre, the exhibition stand for Labour Unions, the collective body for those affiliated to the party, was plastered with uplifting posters promoting “Labou...

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21 h. ago Starmer under scrutiny as Mandelson ‘admitted long ties with Epstein in vetting’

Questions are swirling about the Prime Minister’s political judgment after he sacked the peer a day after defending him.

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29 h. ago Starmer is always torn between risk and caution. When it came to Mandelson, the wrong side won | Emma Burnell

The PM stood by his man for so long, he can’t even claim credit now for firing him. It’s a worst-of-both-worlds scenarioEmma Burnell is the editor of LabourListKeir Starmer’s public image is one of stolid caution. This was something deliberately crafted at the start of his leadership of the Labour party to put him into sharp contrast with the charismatic but chaotic then prime minister, Boris Johnson. Starmer is – we were repeatedly told – forensic. He’s a details man who plays by the book.However, look more closely and you will see that Starmer is actually something of a political risk-taker. The hiring – and now firing – of Peter Mandelson is just the latest case in point.Emma Burnell is the editor of LabourList Continue reading...

Events

32 h. ago Labour ‘unprepared’ for the ‘state’ of its inheritance, new Commons Leader says

Conservative shadow Commons leader Jesse Norman described Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership as being like an ‘unending episode of The Office’.

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34 h. ago Keir Starmer sacks Lord Mandelson as ambassador to US over Epstein friendship

The New Labour grandee has been withdrawn over emails showing the depth of his relationship with the convicted paedophile.

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34 h. ago Welsh council leader steps down criticising Labour's direction under Keir Starmer

Sean Morgan said his "moral standing" prevented him being "aligned with the Labour Party any longer"

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36 h. ago Pressure mounts on Mandelson over ‘sickening’ links to Epstein

A Government minister said emails between Lord Mandelson and Jeffrey Epstein made him ‘shudder’.

Events

37 h. ago Minister 'shudders' at Peter Mandelson email to Jeffrey Epstein as pressure mounts on PM

Home Office minister Mike Tapp said hearing an email from Peter Mandelson to Jeffrey Epstein made him 'shudder' as Keir Starmer faces a growing Labour rebellion

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44 h. ago Downing Street 'ignored warnings about Peter Mandelson's friendship with Jeffrey Epstein when Labour grandee was made ambassador'

The senior Labour peer Maurice Glasman privately warned Keir Starmer 's chief of staff Morgan McSweeney against the appointment in January.

Events

49 h. ago Mandelson fights to stay as UK ambassador amid new Epstein revelations

Tories urge Sir Keir Starmer to remove the Labour peer from his role as envoy to Washington

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49 h. ago Mandelson fights to stay as UK envoy to the US amid new Epstein revelations

Tories urge Sir Keir Starmer to remove the Labour peer from his post

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49 h. ago Mandelson fights to remain UK envoy to US amid Epstein revelations

Tories urge Keir Starmer to remove Labour peer from his post

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50 h. ago Keir Starmer ally Bridget Phillipson sails through to next stage of Labour deputy leadership race as field slims to five after fellow minister drops out

The Education Secretary, who is being viewed as No10's de facto candidate, has now been nominated by 116 MPs in the battle to become Labour's number two.

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55 h. ago Labour MPs turn on Starmer after PM backs Mandelson amid growing calls for him to quit over Epstein links

Pressure on Sir Keir Starmer over the Mandelson-Epstein scandal as Labour MPs grow increasingly nervous over defences of the ambassador to the US

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56 h. ago Keir Starmer blasts Nigel Farage over 'dangerous' vaccine conspiracies that cost lives

After being questioned by Labour's Dr Simon Opher, Keir Starmer lashed out at Reform UK for platforming a speaker who linked Covid vaccines with cancer among Royal Family members

Politics

57 h. ago Starmer says he has confidence in Peter Mandelson despite resurfaced ties to Jeffrey Epstein – UK politics live

PM was grilled by Kemi Badenoch on suitability of Mandelson for job as US ambassador Helena Horton is a Guardian environment reporter.Emma Reynolds, the new environment secretary, had a difficult job this morning: meeting a group of farmers after Labour caused fury in the rural community by introducing a new inheritance tax.The Treasury reserve, designed to be used for “genuinely unforeseen, unaffordable and unavoidable pressures” has recently been used to fund higher public sector pay and compensation payouts.In a letter to ministers, the chancellor said Treasury would only consider providing reserve funds to departments that have already maximised their savings Continue reading...

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59 h. ago Keir Starmer will meet Israeli president Isaac Herzog as MPs express ‘grave concern’ at the visit – UK politics live

The visit is seen as highly contentious amid the war in Gaza and Israel’s bombing of Qatar in a targeted strike aimed at Hamas officialsPeter Mandelson, the British ambassador to the US, has spoken at length about how he regrets “very, very deeply indeed” his past friendship with the billionaire paedophile sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.After new evidence about the extent of that friendship came to light yesterday, Mandelson gave an interview to the Sun’s editor-at-large in the US, Harry Cole, accepting that the disclosures were “very embarrassing to see and to read”.I just feel two things now – one, I feel a tremendous sense, a profound sense of sympathy for those people, those women, who suffered as a result of his behaviour and his illegal criminal activities.Secondly, I regret very, very deeply indeed carrying on that association with him for far longer than I should have done I just would say this during all the time I was an associate of his, I never saw the wrongdoing. I neve...

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