'It stinks!' Keir Starmer blasted for 'dubious' Peter Mandelson appointment amid security vetting row

Georgia Pearce
Sun, 19 Apr 2026 15:14:27 +0000

Sir Keir Starmer has been scolded for his "dubious" appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson, following the revelation that the disgraced peer failed his security vetting.

Speaking to GB News, businessman and commentator Jeff Banks declared the entire scandal "stinks", questioning why Lord Mandelson was appointed in the first place.

He told GB News: "Firstly, when it was announced that he was going to make him ambassador to America, I couldn't believe it.

"I thought, how can you actually appoint this guy who twice has got fired from cabinet for quite serious misdemeanours? Why is it that he would suddenly decide to appoint this guy?"

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The commentator argued that Lord Mandelson was appointed as US Ambassador despite the concerns because Sir Keir "wanted to make the appointment".

He said: "He has repeatedly said that due process was followed in all of the investigations that went on by MI5 and MI6, and then he stands up in the House of Parliament and says nobody actually told me.

"This supposed forensic lawyer that's actually so detailed in everything he does can sit down with his mate, look him in the eye and say, 'what do you know about Epstein?'

"And the guy said, 'oh, nothing, guv'nor'. It doesn't credit belief. He's supposed to be a forensic lawyer, and his mate has pulled the wool over his eyes."

Questioning the "dubious" appointment of Lord Mandelson further, Mr Banks questioned "what Peter Mandelson has on Starmer".

He told GB News: " What is it that Mandelson has either got on Starmer or what's gone on in the background?

"Because why would you want to give a dubious mate the biggest honour that you can actually give in British politics? Why?"

Taking aim at Sir Keir further, Mr Banks stressed Lord Mandelson's close relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, revealed in detail in the Epstein files.

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He made clear: "Why does he want to give his mate such a prestigious job? This bloke that has his picture taken with Epstein in a bathrobe, has his picture taken in a French apartment in his underpants.

"He's a slimy git, and suddenly Keir wants to do his mate a favour?"

The commentator also noted that Lord Mandelson appeared to have "no connection" to US President Donald Trump, recalling a specific interaction between the two.

He told GB News: "Why is it that he stands up in front of everybody and says, 'oh, he's only Peter'. He didn't have a good relationship with Trump.

"In fact, when he appeared in the Oval Office, Trump turned around and didn't even recognise him and said, 'oh, you've got a nice accent', so he had no connection there."

Mr Banks stressed: "And what is really alarming is that in that position, every possible state secret that we would wish to exchange with America goes through the ambassador.

"If there is any confrontation, any political fallout. Who do they call for? Call for the ambassador. We need to have him in front of us.

"And this is the bloke that we're actually going to send in, who's got a questionable relationship with the most renowned paedophile in the world, and they used the bloke to represent us."