Labour MP Andy McDonald has insisted his party’s leadership needs to urgently change course following the Peter Mandelson saga. Mr McDonald said Sir Keir Starmer’s future “is in his own hands”.
He also complained about an apparent “complete double standard” in the treatment of people within the party, contrasting how the Prime Minister initially leapt to Lord Mandelson’s defence despite swiftly removing the whip from backbenchers who rebelled against the two-child benefit cap last year. Speaking about how “morale is very low”, he said: “The events of last week have left people bewildered. The appointment of Peter Mandelson in the first place, knowing what was already known, raised a big question mark about judgement, but events as they unfolded last week have shaken people’s trust and confidence, and there are serious questions for the Prime Minister.
“I think that dancing on the head of a pin around the minutiae of the timetable in an attempt to allay criticism isn’t working. There needs to be transparency over what happened.”
The MP also said someone has to take responsibility for failing to inform the Prime Minister of messages that led to Lord Mandelson’s sacking, which were reportedly sent to Government officials but not shared with Sir Keir before Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs).
He said: “Wherever that happened in the chain of command, the decision-maker should not remain in post. You cannot have a Prime Minister going into Prime Minister’s Questions without that information.
Mr McDonald added: “When people talk about issues like the two-child benefit cap, they are chastised and disciplined. We’ve got to see some leadership with respect to what happened with Peter Mandelson.”
He complained of a “complete double standard, which has characterised the way this Government has dealt with people internally”.
He added: “Punching down on the working class – winter fuel, WASPI and workers’ rights – has been disastrous, as has been the shielding of Israel.”
The Prime Minister sacked Lord Mandelson last week, but has faced questions about his judgement in appointing the peer, whose friendship with Jeffrey Epstein was public knowledge in the first place.
Sir Keir gave public backing to Lord Mandelson at PMQs on Wednesday, only to sack him the following day after the publication of email exchanges with Epstein.
The Prime Minister told broadcasters that Lord Mandelson went through a proper due diligence process before his appointment.
But he added: “Had I known then what I know now, I’d have never appointed him.”
The Prime Minister said he was not satisfied with Lord Mandelson’s responses to questions asked by officials about the correspondence with Epstein.
Emails published by Bloomberg included passages in which Lord Mandelson told Epstein to “fight for early release” shortly before he was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Lord Mandelson also reportedly told Epstein “I think the world of you” the day before the disgraced financier began his sentence for soliciting prostitution from a minor in June 2008.
Sir Keir was aware when he stood up at PMQs that further revelations were due about Lord Mandelson, because the then-ambassador had acknowledged “very embarrassing” messages would surface.
