The former European commissioner has faced several scandals during his political career. He resigned from former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair\u2019s cabinet twice \u2014 once in 1998, and again in 2001. <\/p>\n
Starmer, already under pressure after his deputy prime minister was forced to quit<\/a> earlier this month, is facing questions about why he took so long to act, and about what he knew of Mandelson\u2019s friendship with Epstein before he was appointed to the prestigious diplomatic role. <\/p>\n A government official said the information contained in the emails had not been available at the time of Mandelson\u2019s appointment, even to Mandelson himself, as they were from a defunct email account. The onus was on the individual being vetted to disclose relevant information, the official added.<\/p>\n Asked whether Mandelson misled the vetting process, a spokesperson for Starmer said: \u201cI\u2019m not going to comment on an individual\u2019s vetting.\u201d The spokesperson insisted the vetting process had been followed.<\/p>\n Senior Labour MP Emily Thornberry, who chairs parliament\u2019s foreign affairs committee, said it was \u201cright\u201d Mandelson had been sacked. Her committee had repeatedly asked to question him since the \u201cfirst rumours of his appointment,\u201d she revealed in an X post<\/a>.<\/p>\n