Labour is in a full blown crisis after Peter Mandelson’s sacking. The party grandee was booted out of his top diplomatic role in Washington thanks to awkward revelations about his friendship with dead paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Although he eventually wielded the axe, Sir Keir Starmer is weaker now than ever before. The Labour leader dithered over Angela Rayner when it was plainly clear the former Housing Secretary had to go and he dithered again over the fate of Britain’s US Ambassador. On both occasions he put party above country.
There are also still serious questions about what the Prime Minister knew about the whole unedifying saga and when. The public has the right to know the full facts.
And it raises serious questions about Sir Keir’s personal and political judgement. It was a risky decision by the Prime Minister, someone not known for taking political gambles, to appoint Lord Mandelson in the first place.
Mandy isn’t known as the Prince of Darkness for no reason.
His track record of controversies and sensational comebacks is like no other politician other than perhaps the man who is due to visit these shores next week.
The Mandelson controversy comes just days before Donald Trump – who is also embroiled in the Epstein scandal – embarks on a three-day state visit where he will stay with King Charles.
Awkward indeed.
With a civil war brewing over replacing Rayner things are getting worse for the Labour party which has been in power for 14 calamitous months.
Freebie scandals, bumper tax raids, targeting pensioners and a string of ministers losing their jobs has seen Sir Keir’s party plummet in the polls.
But the Rayner and Mandelson affairs leave the Prime Minister in the weakest position he’s been in yet.
