UK PM Starmer says he shouldn’t have appointed Epstein-linked pick for US ambassador | CNN

When Keir Starmer was elected Britain’s prime minister nearly two years ago, his promise to a public weary of political scandals and turmoil was that his government would be different. Yet the furor over Starmer’s decision to appoint Peter Mandelson – whose close ties to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein would be detailed in files released by the US Department of Justice – as Britain’s ambassador to the United States is once again threatening to engulf his premiership. On Monday, Starmer admitted to parliament that he shouldn’t have appointed Mandelson to the plum diplomatic role, from which he was sacked after seven months. That admission came days after it emerged Mandelson had failed in-depth security vetting conducted before his appointment in early 2025. Citing multiple sources, the Guardian reported on Thursday that officials at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office then used a rare authority to override that recommendation, since Starmer had already announced Mandelson’s appointment. Starmer insisted he was unaware of the failed vetting, but acknowledged that “at the heart of this is also a judgment I made that was wrong.” “I should not have appo