Minister Mocked For Claiming Starmer Is ‘Man Of Integrity’

A cabinet minister has attracted online backlash after claiming Keir Starmer is a “man of honesty and integrity” amid the fallout of Peter Mandelson.

The prime minister’s judgement – and political future – is under question after it emerged this week that his pick to be the UK’s ambassador to the US failed security vetting, but still got the top job anyway.

Starmer insists that the Foreign Office kept him in the dark about the security risks around Mandelson.

Technology secretary Liz Kendall furiously defended the prime minister on Sky News on Sunday, telling presenter Trevor Phillips she had “100%” confidence in the prime minister, despite this scandal.

“He is a man of guts and strength and courage,” she said. “He does take responsibility.

“He is a man, when big decisions are facing the country, is making the right calls, on getting a grip of our public finances, on investing in our defence and NHS, of not getting involved in the war with no clear objective and no clear exit plan, who has focused on things that have mattered to me my entire life – getting kids out of poverty and tackling violence against women and girls.

“That is why I support the prime minister, because on the big judgements facing the country, he has made the right calls, no matter what pressure is put on him.”

On the Mandelson appointment, she continued to describe the prime minister as an “honest man” who acknowledges it was a “mistake” to promote the ex-Labour peer.

“He removed Peter Mandelson and I think that he is a man of honesty and integrity,” Kendall said.

“And you know what, Trevor, tomorrow in the House of Commons, he will face all of these issues and questions. He will lay all the facts before parliament.”

Kendall also claimed Starmer would not have appointed Mandelson if he knew he failed the security vetting.

She sent a warning to political opponents who might be trying to topple the prime minister, saying: “Any politician that focuses more on their future and their job, not people’s future sand their jobs, will lose the public support. That is why I back Keir Starmer.”

However, her comments sparked a strong reaction on X, where many online critics strongly disagreed with her support for Starmer…

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