- Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer admitted he "made a mistake" and "beat himself up" over the appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson as Britain's ambassador to the US.
- The error stemmed from Mandelson's undisclosed links to child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, despite prior warnings of a "general reputational risk".
- Sir Keir stated that Mandelson repeatedly lied during the vetting process for the diplomatic role.
- Mandelson was sacked in September after newly revealed emails showed a more extensive relationship with Epstein than previously known.
- Mandelson recently quit the House of Lords and was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, with allegations of leaking sensitive government information to Epstein.
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