Sir Keir Starmer knew about Lord Peter Mandelson’s ongoing friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein when he appointed him ambassador to the US, but claimed the peer “lied repeatedly” about the extent of the relationship.

In a sign of Labour anger over the scandal, the Prime Minister was forced into a climbdown over the release of documents relating to Lord Mandelson’s appointment.

Sir Keir had wanted the top civil servant Sir Chris Wormald to decide what documents could not be released on national security grounds or because they could prejudice international relations.

But under pressure from Labour MPs, led by former deputy leader Angela Rayner, he accepted the decision could be made by Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) instead.

Lord Mandelson, a political appointment rather than a career diplomat, was sacked from his Washington role in September last year over his links with Epstein, who died in 2019.

His continued association with Epstein following a 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor had been widely reported before his return to the political frontline, when he was named as ambassador in 2024.

At Prime Minister’s Questions, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch – who has led the parliamentary push for papers relating to the appointment to be disclosed – repeatedly asked Sir Keir if he knew Lord Mandelson’s friendship with Epstein had continued after the conviction.

She said: “Can the Prime Minister tell us did the official security vetting he received mention Mandelson’s ongoing relationship with the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein?”

Sir Keir replied: “Yes it did. As a result, various questions were put to him.”

The Prime Minister told MPs: “What was not known was the depth, the sheer depth and the extent of the relationship. He lied about that to everyone for years, and new information was published in September showing the relationship was materially different from what we’d been led to believe. When the new information came to light, I sacked him.”