Sir Keir Starmer is "looking forward with dread" to his joint press conference with Donald Trump amid the ongoing Lord Peter Mandelson controversy, it has been claimed.
Speaking to GB News, Chief Political Commentator John Rentoul said the Prime Minister is facing a "lose-lose situation" during the US President's state visit.
Mr Trump has departed the US on Air Force One ahead of his state visit to the UK, telling reporters that King Charles is a "friend" and an "elegant gentleman".
He also claimed Sir Keir wants to "refine" the trade deal between the UK and the US, declaring it a "great deal".
John Rentoul says Keir Starmer is 'looking forward with dread' to his joint press conference with Donald Trump
|GB NEWS / PA
Discussing the US President's visit to the UK, Mr Rentoul told GB News: "It just means that the Peter Mandelson issue will continue to be raised by journalists.
"He must be looking forward with dread to his joint press conference with the US President, because goodness knows what questions are going to be asked, and there will be a lot of questions about Peter Mandelson."
Host Martin Daubney stressed that "Jeffrey Epstein" may also be a topic of questioning at the press conference, stating: "Donald Trump being bombarded with questions about Jeffrey Epstein because Peter Manners would have been astonishing, embarrassing?"
Mr Rentoul responded: "You could argue that Keir Starmer wanted to keep Peter Mandelson as ambassador because to lose him is, in effect, to admit that Jeffrey Epstein is toxic.
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| REUTERS"And that means and that's sort of insulting Donald Trump, who's also got his connections with Jeffrey Epstein. So it's a lose lose situation for Starmer."
Weighing in on the Lord Mandelson scandal, GB News Political Editor Christopher Hope noted that just "14 months" into Sir Keir's premiership, he is declaring that he "will not quit" on national television.
Comparing his first year in power to that of Sir Tony Blair, Christopher asked Mr Rentoul if Mr Blair would have "ever got into this mess that Keir Starmer is in".
Mr Rentoul said: "This is an extraordinary position, because Tony Blair was always popular with the public and he was always regarded as a winner by his party.
Mr Rentoul told GB News that Keir Starmer is facing a 'lose, lose' situation
|GB NEWS
"Keir Starmer, he was a winner, but he's not regarded as a winner in the future. And that's absolutely fatal to his prospects of carrying on."
Speaking to Channel 4 News, Sir Keir was asked whether he was angry with Lord Mandelson following the controversy.
He said: "I'm angry to have been put in that position. Had I known then what I know now, I'd have never appointed him."
Asked if he would resign over the scandal, the Prime Minister declared: "No, because I'm absolutely clear what the task is in front of me."