Half Of Brits Say Starmer Must Quit After Mandelson Scandal

Half of Brits say Keir Starmer should now resign in the wake of the Peter Mandelson scandal, according to a new poll.

It comes after US lawmakers released a new batch of Jeffrey Epstein files last week and exposed just how extensive Mandelson’s relationship with him was prior to the convicted sex offender’s death in 2019.

Starmer also admitted this week that he knew of Mandelson’s ties to the disgraced financier before he even appointed him to be Britain’s ambassador to the US in February last year.

While more information about this friendship was unveiled last September, forcing the prime minister to sack Mandelson, the latest Epstein files prove they were especially close.

Researchers at YouGov found just 24% of Brits polled on Thursday want the prime minister to stay in his post, compared to 50% who want him to be replaced by another Labour figure.

Using a sample size of 6,741 adults in Britain, the pollsters also found that 2024 Labour voters are split, with 40% wanting Starmer to stay while 37% are urging him to go.

Starmer tried to win back public favour on Thursday with a public apology to Epstein’s victims.

“I am sorry,” he said. “Sorry for what was done to you. Sorry for having believing Mandelson’s lies and appointed him. And sorry that even now you are forced to watch this story unfold in public once again.”

However, several of his own MPs are still feeling mutinous – particularly those on the left.

At least 13 backbenchers so far have publicly stated they think this could now be the end of Starmer, calling the situation “catastrophic” and claiming No.10 “needs gutting from top to bottom”.

Labour peer Harriet Harman, formerly a deputy Labour leader, said Starmer needs to remove his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, a close ally to Mandelson, from government in order to survive.

She told Sky News the prime minister should be thinking about a “real reset in Number 10”.