The prime minister should resign over his handling of the Peter Mandelson scandal, according to a Welsh Labour MP.
Anger is growing among Labour MPs, who are unhappy with Sir Keir Starmer giving Lord Mandelson the key job of US ambassador in 2024.
Sir Keir has said he was aware of the former business secretary’s ongoing friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted paedophile who died in 2019, when he appointed him.
A Welsh Labour MP who did not want to be named told BBC Wales: “Starmer has to go – do the decent thing”.
Amid tense scenes in the Commons on Wednesday, Sir Keir said Lord Mandelson repeatedly lied to him about the extent of his friendship with convicted paedophile Epstein.
Under pressure, the UK government said it would release all material relating to Lord Mandelson’s appointment, with sensitive documents referred to a cross-party security committee.
The former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner probably led the calls for the committee to be involved.
One Welsh Labour MP told BBC Wales: “Starmer has to go – do the decent thing. Angela Rayner is probably leading a revolt but she is not the solution.”
Another unnamed Welsh Labour MP told BBC Wales that it was “a dire situation” adding that Sir Keir should stay but sack his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, who many people accuse of poorly advising him.
The Conservatives’ Shadow Welsh Secretary, Mims Davies was at Prime Minister’s Questions in the Commons on Wednesday.
She told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast how the events unfolded over Sir Keir’s handling of the Mandelson-Epstein scandal.
“I think it was jaw dropping.
“I was on the front bench sitting next to our shadow Secretary of State for health and we heard the prime minister finally admitting that he did know about that ongoing relationship between Peter Mandelson and Jeffery Epstein, the convicted paedophile.
“But you could hear a pin drop, and I think everybody was aghast and not least Labour MPs.
“I think in all of this, the victims must be at the heart of who’ve been suffering of this. We need to be thinking about them, finding out who is responsible for this decision, but ultimately it shows the prime minister’s terrible judgement once again.”
At Prime Minister’s Questions, Sir Keir told the Commons he was misled about the “sheer depth and extent” of Lord Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein.
“He lied repeatedly to my team when asked about his relationship with Epstein before and during his tenure as ambassador. I regret appointing him,” he said.
“If I knew then what I know now, he would never have been anywhere near government.”
Lord Mandelson has not responded to requests for comment – the BBC understands his position is that he has not acted in any way criminally and that he was not motivated by financial gain, and his view is that he answered questions about his relationship with Epstein in the vetting process accurately.
