Newspaper Reader.
Apr 30, 2026
Starmer is doing plenty of damage to the Labour cause all by himself, so the premise is a bit rich. His party can expect a shellacking at the elections, with hundreds of councillors expected to be toppled by Reform UK and the Greens.
Meanwhile, he continues to bleed over the Mandelson affair, triggered by Epstein file details of the Labour grandee’s close relationship with the disgraced financier. The agency that vetted his appointment as envoy to Washington was also concerned about his lobbying firm’s Russian and Chinese clients. Mandelson had also resigned twice from the cabinet over probity matters.
Mandelson has been sacked, but the appointment is a bad meal that keeps repeating for Starmer. It has put his lack of judgement and curiosity, and a passive reliance on “process”, under the spotlight, and he has been found wanting.
Mandarins have told a parliamentary inquiry there was pressure from Downing Street to quickly shepherd Mandelson’s appointment through the bureaucracy so he could take up the role to coincide with Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
Starmer, by contrast, told the House of Commons “there was no pressure whatsoever” – a discrepancy that Opposition Leader Kemi Badenoch moved to exploit by trying to refer Starmer to the privileges committee for misleading Parliament. The British media has dubbed it a “sleaze inquiry”, in that wonderfully tabloid way that made Fleet Street famous.
Just as Bill Clinton redefined “sexual relations” during his impeachment scandal, Starmer has opened the word “pressure” to interpretation.
What a civil servant might interpret as pressure from above to implement a decision, no matter what, could also be regarded as a minister’s expectation that their department be responsive and proactive.
As in Australia, the episode suggests the days of mandarins offering frank and fearless advice are well and truly over, and they are instead more intent on pleasing and appeasing their political masters.
On high alert that Tuesday’s (Wednesday AEST) vote could serve as a proxy vote of no confidence, Labour powerbrokers imposed what is known as a “three-line whip” to strongarm MPs to oppose Badenoch’s motion. The punishment for defying a three-line whip can be as harsh as expulsion from the party room.
The motion was easily defeated, but 68 MPs failed to vote with Labour, including 15 who crossed the floor to support Badenoch. Of the 53 who did not vote, some had personal reasons, but others abstained to protest against Starmer.
While the dissidents come from the hard left of the party and are known Starmer enemies, the large number of MPs who failed to fall into line will have the prime minister and his loyalists on edge.
In a party room of 403 MPs, just 80 are needed to nominate a rival candidate and force a leadership ballot. One reason Starmer has retained his job is that a consensus candidate has yet to emerge.
One civil servant who may have been a bit too frank is Christian Turner, Mandelson’s replacement as envoy.
A leaked recording obtained by the Financial Times of a Q&A Turner held with visiting British students in February has the ambassador saying it was “extraordinary” no one in the US had been held to account over their ties to Epstein, while Mandelson and “potentially the prime minister” had been dragged down by the scandal.
Turner told the students that Starmer was “on the ropes” and could be replaced after the May local elections.
In a backhanded compliment, Turner said Starmer was a “stubborn” person and unlikely to quit. We will soon find out how true that statement is.
Andrew Tillett is The Australian Financial Review’s correspondent for Europe, based in London. He was formerly foreign affairs and defence correspondent based in Canberra. Connect with Andrew on Facebook and Twitter. Email Andrew at andrew.tillett@afr.com
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