{"id":54241,"date":"2026-04-18T16:21:40","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T20:21:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/british-deputy-pm-backs-starmer-amid-ambassador-scandal\/"},"modified":"2026-04-18T16:21:40","modified_gmt":"2026-04-18T20:21:40","slug":"british-deputy-pm-backs-starmer-amid-ambassador-scandal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/british-deputy-pm-backs-starmer-amid-ambassador-scandal\/","title":{"rendered":"British Deputy PM Backs Starmer Amid Ambassador Scandal"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n

LONDON – Britain’s Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy expressed his backing for Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Saturday as controversy continues surrounding the selection of Peter Mandelson for the U.S. ambassador position.<\/p>

The longtime Labour Party figure Mandelson received the ambassadorial appointment from Starmer but was later dismissed due to his connections with deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, creating a political crisis that has called the British leader’s decision-making into question.<\/p>

On Friday, Starmer encountered fresh calls for his resignation after government officials revealed that security clearance procedures had advised against Mandelson’s appointment, though Foreign Office personnel overturned this guidance without notifying the prime minister.<\/p>

Lammy, who oversaw the Foreign Office during this period and currently serves as deputy prime minister and justice secretary, expressed to the Guardian newspaper his bewilderment that Starmer remained uninformed about the original security assessment.<\/p>

“I have absolutely no doubt at all, knowing the PM as I do, that had he known that Peter Mandelson had not passed the vetting, he would never, ever have appointed him ambassador,” Lammy told the newspaper.<\/p>

These remarks precede a parliamentary address scheduled for Monday afternoon where Starmer has pledged to reveal complete details about the situation.<\/p>

Although political adversaries have dismissed his account as unbelievable and demanded his resignation, prominent figures within his Labour Party – including potential successors – have refrained from publicly condemning him.<\/p>

When the Guardian initially disclosed Mandelson’s security clearance failure on Thursday, his legal representative declined to offer any statement.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Britain’s Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy is standing by PM Keir Starmer as controversy swirls around the appointment and dismissal of Peter Mandelson as U.S. ambassador. Mandelson was fired due to his connections with Jeffrey Epstein, raising questions about Starmer’s judgment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":54240,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[832],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-54241","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776543700299.jpg?fit=450%2C301&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pbtNqq-e6R","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":54668,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/uk-pm-starmer-under-fire-over-ambassador-pick-who-failed-security-checks\/","url_meta":{"origin":54241,"position":0},"title":"UK PM Starmer Under Fire Over Ambassador Pick Who Failed Security Checks","author":"Admin","date":"April 20, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"British Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces calls to resign after appointing Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the U.S. despite failed security clearance. Mandelson's ties to Jeffrey Epstein and other controversies have sparked a political crisis for Starmer's government.","rel":"","context":"In "World News"","block_context":{"text":"World News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/world-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776659946968.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776659946968.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776659946968.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776659946968.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":58050,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/british-pm-starmer-faces-parliamentary-investigation-vote-over-ambassador-pick\/","url_meta":{"origin":54241,"position":1},"title":"British PM Starmer Faces Parliamentary Investigation Vote Over Ambassador Pick","author":"Admin","date":"April 27, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Britain's Parliament will vote Tuesday on whether to investigate Prime Minister Keir Starmer for potentially misleading lawmakers about his appointment of former U.S. Ambassador Peter Mandelson. The investigation stems from questions about Mandelson's ties to Jeffrey Epstein and whether proper vetting procedures were followed.","rel":"","context":"In "World News"","block_context":{"text":"World News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/world-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1777299805772.jpg?fit=450%2C300&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":53526,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/uk-pm-starmer-refuses-to-quit-after-ambassador-security-scandal\/","url_meta":{"origin":54241,"position":2},"title":"UK PM Starmer Refuses to Quit After Ambassador Security Scandal","author":"Admin","date":"April 17, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing calls to resign after appointing Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the U.S. despite security officials recommending against it due to Mandelson's ties to Jeffrey Epstein. The top Foreign Office official has already resigned over the controversy, but Starmer claims he wasn't informed of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "World News"","block_context":{"text":"World News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/world-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776418723170.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776418723170.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776418723170.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776418723170.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":54414,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/uk-pm-starmer-fights-for-political-survival-after-controversial-ambassador-pick\/","url_meta":{"origin":54241,"position":3},"title":"UK PM Starmer Fights for Political Survival After Controversial Ambassador Pick","author":"Admin","date":"April 19, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"British Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces mounting pressure to resign after appointing Peter Mandelson as U.S. ambassador despite security clearance failures. The appointment has sparked controversy due to Mandelson's connections to Jeffrey Epstein and subsequent criminal investigation.","rel":"","context":"In "World News"","block_context":{"text":"World News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/world-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776594966805.jpg?fit=1000%2C665&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776594966805.jpg?fit=1000%2C665&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776594966805.jpg?fit=1000%2C665&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1776594966805.jpg?fit=1000%2C665&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":58443,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/british-pm-starmer-faces-parliamentary-investigation-over-controversial-ambassador-pick\/","url_meta":{"origin":54241,"position":4},"title":"British PM Starmer Faces Parliamentary Investigation Over Controversial Ambassador Pick","author":"Admin","date":"April 28, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"British Prime Minister Keir Starmer confronts mounting political pressure as lawmakers prepare to vote on investigating his appointment of Peter Mandelson as U.S. ambassador. Mandelson was later dismissed after revelations about his connections to Jeffrey Epstein and security clearance failures.","rel":"","context":"In "World News"","block_context":{"text":"World News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/world-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1777351875359.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1777351875359.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1777351875359.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/news-1777351875359.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":74808,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/uk-prime-minister-faces-new-crisis-as-diplomat-files-set-for-release\/","url_meta":{"origin":54241,"position":5},"title":"UK Prime Minister Faces New Crisis as Diplomat Files Set for Release","author":"Admin","date":"June 1, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"British Prime Minister Keir Starmer confronts mounting political pressure as hundreds of pages of government documents about former ambassador Peter Mandelson are scheduled for public release Monday. The files relate to Mandelson's controversial appointment and his connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.","rel":"","context":"In "World News"","block_context":{"text":"World News","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/world-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1780310334392.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1780310334392.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1780310334392.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1780310334392.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54241","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54241"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54241\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/54240"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54241"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54241"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54241"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}