Keir Starmer reportedly erupted at his right-hand man Morgan McSweeney amid the scandal surrounding No10’s handling of the Lord Peter Mandelson saga.
The Mail on Sunday reported that the Prime Minister exploded at his chief of staff by saying “you are supposed to protect me from things like this!”. The newspaper suggested McSweeney hit back with “that’s exactly what I was trying to do!”.
No 10 initially denied the encounter had taken place as described and tried to deny Mr McSweeney was in the country at the time, before allegedly backtracking.
Lord Mandelson was sacked as the UK’s representative in Washington on Thursday after emails were published showing Lord Mandelson sent supportive messages even as Epstein faced jail for sex offences.
The emails brought to light “new information” and showed “the depth and extent” of Lord Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein was “materially different from that known at the time of his appointment”, Downing Street and the Foreign Office said when his withdrawal from the post was announced.
Ahead of his appointment, the Prime Minister was given a file about Lord Mandelson’s links to Epstein by the Cabinet Office Propriety and Ethics Team and prepared three questions based on it, the PA news agency understands.
Lord Mandelson was asked why he continued contact with Epstein after he was convicted, why he was reported to have stayed in one of the paedophile financier’s homes while he was in prison and whether he was associated with a charity founded by Ghislaine Maxwell that Epstein had backed.
The BBC reported it understands Lord Mandelson believes he was truthful about his association with Epstein and that he told No 10 he had not stayed at his apartment while he was in prison in 2009.
But No 10 sources said Lord Mandelson was “economical with the truth” in his answers to the three questions.
Another vetting process carried out by the Foreign Office followed.