UK MPs Reject Starmer Privileges Committee Referral

British lawmakers voted Tuesday to reject a Conservative motion referring Prime Minister Keir Starmer to the House of Commons Privileges Committee over allegations he misled Parliament regarding Lord Peter Mandelson's appointment as UK ambassador to the United States.

The motion failed 335 to 223, with most Labour MPs following a three-line whip to oppose it despite 14 to 15 backbenchers rebelling. Karl Turner, a former Labour MP now sitting as an independent after losing the party whip, also supported the motion. Starmer voted against referral but did not participate in the preceding debate.

The controversy stems from Mandelson's December 2024 appointment. He was sacked seven months later after U.S. documents revealed closer ties to Jeffrey Epstein than previously known. Security vetting flagged concerns, yet the Foreign Office cleared him without informing Downing Street. Starmer has maintained full due process was followed and no undue pressure applied, citing former cabinet secretary Simon Case's review. He dismissed the motion as a "desperate, baseless political stunt" during Wednesday's Prime Minister's Questions.

Testimony to the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee added...