'There’s more to come': PM is facing 'more trouble' over Mandelson scandal ‘cover-up,’ warns Kemi Badenoch

The Prime Minister is facing a growing backlash after admitting he knew of Peter Mandelson’s continued relationship with Epstein when appointing him as Britain's ambassador to the United States in 2024.

Speaking to Nick Ferrari at Breakfast, the Conservative Party leader said: "There's more to a situation than meets the eye."

Ms Badenoch added that the PM "is going to get into all sorts of trouble” as more revelations come to light.

“There are more details that will come out which they would rather were not in the public domain,” Ms Badenoch told Nick.

She said she was "gobsmacked” to learn that Sir Keir was aware of Mandelson’s ties to Epstein when appointing him, adding: “I always had a strong suspicion that he did know, but I didn't think we would get that information until we saw all of the papers.”

It comes after the prime minister was forced to hand over all files about Mandelson's security vetting to Parliament for release to the public as pressure mounted.

Ms Badenoch said: “I think that those papers are going to show all sorts of terrible decision making and bad judgement by the Labour government. I think Keir Starmer is only going to get into more trouble.”

She added that the scandal will also topple Morgan McSweeney, Starmer’s top aide.

"I think Morgan McSweeney is probably toast. I'm amazed he's still in the job. He was Peter Mandelson's protege. He was the one who pushed for this appointment and must have seen all of the vetting,” Ms Badenoch said.

Speaking in the House of Commons on Wednesday, the Prime Minister told MPs he "regrets" this decision, but stressed that Mandelson "lied repeatedly" about the extent of his relationship with the disgraced financier.

Lord David Wolfson KC, a Tory peer and shadow attorney general, claims this could be the “political death" of Sir Keir.

He told Nick Ferrari at Breakfast: “When the House of Commons is silent, as it was yesterday, it's normally because a death is being reported tragically, often it's a death of our service people.

“But yesterday they were witnessing, I think, the political death of the Prime Minister.”

Crucially, Sir Keir's government must also hand over files to Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee for redaction, rather than being in control of the process itself.

Lord Wolfson added: “This story isn't going to go away… the Prime Minister is now inextricably tied in the public's mind, and rightly so, to Lord Mandelson.

"He had a choice who to appoint to Washington. We actually had a very good professional diplomat imposed as it was, and he chose. It's a matter of judgment.”

Jonathan Haslam, former Downing Street press secretary under John Major, has described Sir Keir as a “zombie prime minister”. 

He told LBC News: “Yesterday was an extraordinary day… the whole of the House of Commons went quiet and you could sense that here was a man who was under enormous pressure.”

But Steve Reed, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, has insisted Sir Keir is not to blame. 

“I think what it says first and foremost is that Peter Mandelson's lying and deception was absolutely outrageous. The PM was lied to, like all of us, by Peter Mandelson,” he told Nick.

However, other Labour figures have criticised the prime minister as backlash grows.

Labour peer Lord Hutton, who told LBC the scandal "could well mark the end of the prime minister's time in office."

He told LBC's Tonight with Andrew Marr: "The issue is the leadership from the Prime Minister, and I think unless it changes dramatically, the Government is in serious trouble."