Calls are growing for Starmer to step down, as Epstein’s shadow looms large over 10 Downing St.

For months, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his embattled Labor government have been dogged by tough questions about why officials appointed Peter Mandelson, a close friend of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as US ambassador.

Now there are fresh calls for Starmer to resign after it was revealed that in 2025 the Foreign Office objected to Mandelson’s failed security checks and appointed him anyway.

Mandelson, a Labor Party veteran, served in the post for seven months before being sacked last September.

Shame, and its growing prevalence, has led a number of government resignationsand as Starmer’s judgment is being reconsidered about Mandelson, he says he knows nothing about the test case.

“I’m very angry,” Starmer said in a brief interview from Paris where he was meeting European leaders over the Strait of Hormuz.

“I was not told that [Mandelson] failed security check. No minister was told that. Number 10 was not told that the failed security check, that is totally unacceptable.“

Clearing calls

Starmer emphasized his anger as “unforgivable” that he did not know about Mandelson’s condition, as he insisted in front of parliament that proper procedures were followed.

Hours after the revelations, which were published earlier on Thursday by The Guardian, a senior civil servant from the UK Foreign Office was forced to resign, but MPs resisted, and at least one Labor backbencher they doubted the allegations that the government was left in the dark.

Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the official opposition, called the prime minister’s comments “really whining” saying events and statements do not add up.

On social media, Nigel Farage, the leader of the opposition Reform party, accused Starmer of blatant “lying” and said he should resign.

Leader of the Green Party, which recently defeated Labour by-election in Greater Manchester, it took one step further. Zack Polanski said Starmer should step down today.

All this increased the already high political pressure on Starmer, and on the party he leads. Recent polls suggest that Starmer, who led the Labor party to a landslide victory in 2024, is regarded as. which is not desirable with the majority of Bris.

With Employees are expected to perform poorly with a wave of local elections to be held across England in May, and regional votes in Scotland and Wales, Starmer’s political predicament could escalate beyond bad press to a stunning election defeat.

“These revelations are incredibly serious,” said Anand Menon, professor of European and Foreign Politics at King’s College London. “You look ignorant and at worst like you’re lying. I think that’s not a good place to be..”

Who knew when and when?

Menon, who spoke to CBC News by phone in London, said people are well aware of the dangers associated with Mandelson.

In March, the UK government released nearly 150 pages of documents relating to his nomination, which showed that Starmer had been warned before Mandelson took part, that there “reputational risk”

It was not mentioned that Mandelson failed the security check. In fact, among the documents released last month was a letter that said Mandelson’s security clearance had been “verified by a vetting agency.”

Mandelson, who was fired from his position in September after the documents were published in the US, revealed the extent of his relationship with Epstein.

In a 2003 letter, Mandelson called Epstein his “best friend” and in 2009, when Epstein was released from prison for soliciting minors, Mandelson sent him an email calling it “liberation day.”

In an interview with BBC News in January, Mandelson apologized “arguably” associated with Epstein after his conviction, suggesting that as a gay man he was “kept apart” from Epstein’s sex life.

A veteran of the crew

A month after that interview, Mandelson he was arrested for allegedly leaking government documents to Epstein. He was released on the same day but the police said they are still under investigation. Reuters reported that Mandelson’s attorney had no comment on Thursday about the vetting process.

Before his appointment as ambassador, Mandelson was part of an influential labor group. His career included serving for four years as EU Trade Commissioner, as well as business secretary under Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

His deployment to the US comes at a time when the Trump administration is threatening tariffs and promising to end trade relations.

Starmer, who said he found out about the news on Tuesday, said he intended to appear in parliament on Monday, and then left. all “important facts in the true light.”

But that is unlikely to ease the mounting pressure.

Declining popularity

Menon said Starmer was able to maintain his position because of his government’s handling of the Middle East war and the fact that there was a growing consensus in the Labor party that there was no alternative to his leadership yet.

“Now, all of a sudden, the newspapers are full of quotes from people saying, ‘That’s it, he’s got to go,'” Menon said.

He said that depending on the local elections that will be held next month, there may be an impetus to change the leadership.

If not, says Menon, the danger is that Starmer will enter what is not a lame duck era.