Ed Miliband has disclosed that he cautioned against appointing Peter Mandelson as the US ambassador, adding another layer of complexity to challenges faced by Keir Starmer.
Miliband, the Net Zero Secretary, mentioned that he expressed his reservations to David Lammy, suggesting the decision could potentially backfire. Lammy, who was the Foreign Secretary at the time, apparently shared these apprehensions.
This revelation surfaces as the Prime Minister prepares for Olly Robbins, a dismissed Foreign Office official, to present his perspective. Robbins is set to testify before MPs at 9 a.m., having been largely held responsible by Starmer for not communicating the vetting officials’ advice against Mandelson’s appointment.
During an extended session in the Commons last night, amidst a notably empty Labour side, Starmer stated that he was ‘deliberately’ left uninformed.
Robbins is reportedly seeking legal counsel, with supporters asserting that his actions were in strict adherence to Whitehall regulations. This situation has led to concerns about a potential substantial severance package for him.
The civil servant is said to be consulting lawyers, with allies adamant he was only following Whitehall rules – sparking fears he will be in line for a huge payoff.
The furore has renewed doubts about whether Sir Keir can cling on in No10, after he was almost ousted in a coup in February. It is barely a fortnight until local elections where Labour is facing a battering at the hands of Reform.
Ed Miliband today revealed he warned against making Peter Mandelson US ambassador as Keir Starmer faces more turmoil
The comments came as the PM braces for sacked Foreign Office mandarin Olly Robbins to tell his side of the story
The furore has renewed doubts about whether Sir Keir can cling on in No10, after he was almost ousted in a coup in February
Yesterday Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander raised eyebrows by saying it was ‘not certain’ the PM would lead Labour into the next election.
Mr Miliband insists he has no ambitions to take over from Sir Keir – but many at Westminster regard him as on manoeuvres.
Another potential rival, Angela Rayner, is set to make a pointed intervention urging Labour to be ‘bolder’ at a conference this evening.
Mandelson spent nine months as US ambassador before fresh details of his relationship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein emerged.
He was a political appointment to the plum diplomatic role, rather than the Washington job going to a career diplomat.
Touring broadcast studios for the Government this morning, Mr Miliband said Sir Keir had acknowledged Mandelson should never have been appointed.
He told Sky News: ‘I steered well clear of Peter Mandelson when I became Labour leader in 2010’.
Asked what he thought when Lord Mandelson’s appointment was announced, he said: ‘That it could blow up, that it could go wrong.’
He added: ‘I had a conversation with David Lammy about it before the appointment and I said I was worried about it … I think he was worried about it too.’
Pressed if Sir Keir Starmer should lose his job, he said: ‘I don’t think so, no. Obviously I don’t.
‘I think prime ministers make errors. Prime ministers are fallible. Prime ministers are human. ‘
Join the discussion
Does this feel like a turning point?
Mandelson spent nine months as US ambassador before fresh details of his relationship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein emerged
Donald Trump waded into the row overnight, jibing that Mandelson was a ‘really bad pick’ for the job of US ambassador.
Escalating his spat with the PM over the Iran war and trade, the US President wrote on Truth Social: ‘Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom acknowledged that he ‘exercised wrong judgement’ when he chose his Ambassador to Washington.
‘I agree, he was a really bad pick.’
Mr Trump added: ‘Plenty of time to recover, however! President DJT.’
One of Sir Keir’s reasons for picking Mandelson was his hope that the smooth-talking Labour veteran would charm Trump.
That seemed to pay off when, during a trade deal announcement in May 2025, the President purred over Mandelson’s ‘beautiful accent’.
Sir Keir endured a torrid grilling in the Commons yesterday, with Speaker Lindsay Hoyle allowing the session to run for nearly two and a half hours following his own clash with the PM the previous week.
The premier was drowned out by mocking laughter as he acknowledged that his own version of events ‘beggars belief’.
He struggled to explain why he appointed Mandelson before he had been vetted, despite being warned about his friendship with Epstein and business links to China and Russia.
Donald Trump waded into the row overnight, jibing that Mandelson was a ‘really bad pick’ for the job of US ambassador
Sir Keir denied misleading MPs over his decision to appoint the disgraced Labour peer as ambassador to the United States.
He admitted it had been a mistake to bring back Mandelson, describing it as ‘wrong’ – and insisted he would ‘take responsibility’ for that.
But he claimed he would never have given the Labour grandee the job if he had known that he failed security vetting.
Instead he angrily blamed the Foreign Office and Sir Olly.
