Starmer and Mandelson 'clearly knew each other very well', professional lipreader tells LBC
A professional lipreader has suggested that Sir Keir Starmer and Lord Mandelson 'clearly knew each other very well' when the disgraced peer was announced as Ambassador to the United States in February 2025.
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Jeremy Freeman studied footage from February 2025, which shows Starmer and Mandelson shortly before the latter's appointment was announced.
Speaking exclusively to LBC, the forensic lipreader said: "This is a brief exchange formally introducing Manderson as an ambassador to the United States. And what I found was very simple: two people who clearly know each other very well, laughing together. The conversation is very light.
"Quick back and forth, positively banter. There was a lot of laughing. They were both smiling. They were both very relaxed.
"And the interaction looked very genuine. It didn't look forced; it was not performed for the cameras, just two people who were comfortable with each other."
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Speaking to LBC, Mr Freeman added that they were "two experienced professionals who appear to have a good relationship.
"They were amused by something, they shared that moment, and that moment looked quite real.
"Sometimes people just get along. Sometimes a laugh is just a laugh. It just looked like genuine banter between the two."
It comes as Sir Keir faces mounting pressure to undergo a parliamentary inquiry into whether he misled the House, with opposition figures calling on the PM to outline the details of Mandelson's appointment and outline what he knew about the vetting process and when.
MPs voted on Tuesday on whether the Privileges Committee should consider whether the Prime Minister misled the House by claiming “due process” was followed in appointing Peter Mandelson as US ambassador despite failing his security vetting.
But 15 Labour MPs voted against their party line and in favour of a parliamentary inquiry in a concerning sign for the leader.