Deputy Labour leader admits 'we made mistakes' after Starmer accused of appointing 'paedophile apologists'
Lucy Powell's comments come after Kemi Badenoch accused Sir Keir Starmer of "stuffing Government with hypocrites and paedophile apologists" in fiery exchanges at PMQs
Deputy Labour leader Lucy Powell told LBC the cabinet "made mistakes" in appointing Lord Mandelson and Lord Doyle after the Prime Minister was accused of hiring "paedophile apologists".
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Sir Keir Starmer has come under fire this week after it was revealed he appointed Lord Mandelson, an associate of financier Jeffrey Epstein, and Lord Doyle, who campaigned for a convicted sex offender, into his top team.
Lucy Powell told LBC: "It's not been good enough. At times we've made mistakes. Some of those very publicly and very noticeably. We've all been honest about that."
"We do need to change the culture in how we are making decisions, and what we are doing," she admitted.
Her comments came shortly after Kemi Badenoch accused Sir Keir Starmer of "stuffing Government with hypocrites and paedophile apologists" in fiery exchanges at Prime Minister's Questions.
Taking aim at the PM, Badenoch accused Starmer of "stratospheric levels of delusion" as she insisted he "always puts the Downing Street Boys Club first".
Earlier this week, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar called for the PM to resign over the scandal.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told LBC: "We're going to have to raise our level of ambition and we're going to have to really start acting like a Labour government that is bold and is radical."
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Read More: Starmer accused of appointing ‘paedophile apologists’ to Labour ‘boys’ club’
Lord Matthew Doyle apologised for his past association with convicted sex offender Sean Morton - a former Labour councillor, and said he would not be taking the Labour whip on Monday.
Morton admitted to having indecent images of children in November 2017, with Lord Doyle campaigning for the disgraced councillor when he ran as an Independent candidate in May 2017.
Ms Powell said the appointment "stains the whole system and stains everybody else as well".
The PM has already come under fire for appointing Lord Peter Mandelson as his US ambassador after the peer's close relationship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein
Sir Keir said on Wednesday that his former communications chief “did not give a full account of his actions” when he was given a peerage despite his ties to a paedophile councillor.
Lord Doyle's elevation to the House of Lords has raised fresh questions about the Prime Minister’s judgment amid claims his former aide’s friendship with Morton was public knowledge when his appointment was confirmed.
Speaking on Tuesday, Lord Doyle said: "I want to apologise for my past association with Sean Morton.
"His offences were vile and I completely condemn the actions for which he was rightly convicted. My thoughts are with the victims and all those impacted by these crimes."
The PMQs exchange - the first since a Labour leadership crisis saw the PM cling to power with the backing of senior ministers - saw Starmer insist that he is "fighting to change our country" during the fiery Commons exchange.
The crisis saw Scottish Labour leader call for the PM to step aside on Monday, despite Starmer gaining the backing of Labour Cabinet colleagues.
Anas Sarwar again called for Starmer to resign on Wednesday, insisting there was now a "general acceptance that things have not been good enough, that there have been too many mistakes and things have to change".
He told reporters at the Scottish Parliament: "I stated my view and I stand by that view because I am the one who is putting myself before the public in three months' time and the people in Scotland deserve to know what my standards are, what I believe, what I am willing to tolerate and what I would do differently if I was elected as first minister."
Starmer's he was met with widespread condemnation from the opposition, with Sir Ed Davey insisting Starmer had showed a “catastrophic lack of judgment”.
The Liberal Democrats leader told the Commons: “To appoint one paedophile supporter cannot be excused as ‘misfortune’.“To appoint two shows a catastrophic lack of judgment.”
In a speech on Turesday, the PM insisted he would "never walk away from the country I love".
The Prime Minister said on a visit to Hertfordshire: "I will never walk away from the mandate I was given to change this country.
"I will never walk away from the people that I'm charged with fighting for, and I will never walk away from the country that I love, and that is the country who I truly believe we are, a compassionate, reasonable, live and let live country, a diverse country where, given half the chance, will help each other out."