Sir Keir Starmer has sacked Lord Peter Mandelson as Britain's Ambassador to the US after emails showed the "depth and the extent" of his relationship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
The decision was announced by the Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories Stephen Doughty in the House of Commons on Thursday morning.
Mr Doughty said "additional information", by way of emails, had come to light by Lord Mandelson.
It resulted in the Prime Minister asking the Foreign Secretary to "withdraw him as Ambassador to the United States".
Mr Doughty cautioned that Lord Mandelson’s "relationship with Jeffrey Epstein is materially different from that known at the time of his appointment".
In response to Conservative frontbencher Neil O’Brien, Mr Doughty told the Commons: "I think the first thing that we all need to be clear about across this House, and I’m sure [Mr O’Brien] wouldn’t disagree with this, is that the victims of [Jeffrey] Epstein are at the forefront of all of our minds.
"He was a despicable criminal who committed the most heinous crimes and destroyed the lives of so many women and girls."
Mr Doughty added that "the emails show that the depth and the extent of Lord Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein is materially different from that known at the time of his appointment".
Stephen Doughty announcing the decision on Thursday morning
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He continued: "And in particular, the suggestion that Jeffrey Epstein’s first conviction was wrongful and should be challenged is new information.
"Lord Mandelson has resigned, that decision has been taken, and that is a very, very clear answer to his questions."
Mr O’Brien, who tabled the Commons urgent question about the UK Ambassador to the US and the appointment process, has described "huge questions" for the Government.
The Conservative shadow minister asked: "Did the US State Department give any warning to our Government ahead of this appointment?
Neil O'Brien slammed the Labour Party over Lord Mandelson's links to Jeffrey Epstein
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"Did the Prime Minister’s chief of staff Sue Gray give any warning?
"Have any employees of Global Counsel visited our Washington embassy since his appointment?
"Next week is going to be the state visit. This is huge turmoil ahead of it and I cannot believe that the Government put our monarch in this terrible position.
"I am glad that Peter Mandelson has now gone."
Mr O'Brien had earlier praised Tory leader Kemi Badenoch for "securing justice for the victims of Epstein".
He asked Mr Doughty whether he was implying that Sir Keir "did not know any of this?"
"Don't say the boxes were ticked and the process was followed," Mr O'Brien said.
"What did the Prime Minister know at the point of his appointment."
As Ms Badenoch did in the Commons on Wednesday, Mr O'Brien asked the Government whether they would now "publish all the documents relating to Peter Mandelson's association with Epstein".
Mr O'Brien criticised Lord Mandelson's "excuse" of saying he was "wrong to think that he was innocent".
"He pleaded guilty, so there were huge questions here," he said.
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said in a statement that Sir Keir "needs to appoint an Ambassador who will stand up to Trump, not cosy up to him and his cronies".
Sir Keir Starmer faced criticism over his decision to appoint Lord Peter Mandelson as US Ambassador
| GETTY"He also needs to come before Parliament and explain why Lord Mandelson was appointed in the first place, given everything the Government knew then," he added.
"This Government seems to be lurching from one crisis to another. It desperately needs to get a grip on fixing the economy and public services so badly damaged by the Conservatives."
Green Party leader Zack Polanski went a step further, saying: "Yet Keir Starmer is hosting a US President next week who was just as close to Epstein as Mandelson."
Mr Polanski took a swipe at Reform UK leader Nigel Farage for being "all too happy to hang with Trump, despite his long-running friendship with Epstein".
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