- 7 hours ago
A political firestorm erupts in the UK Parliament as explosive questions are raised over the Mandelson–Epstein connection and potential national security breaches.
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey grills Prime Minister Keir Starmer, demanding answers on whether UK state secrets were leaked to Jeffrey Epstein — and whether those secrets may have ended up in Russian hands.
#EpsteinScandal #UKParliament #MandelsonEpstein #EdDavey #KeirStarmer #RussianSpy #Putin #UKSecrets #NationalSecurity #SpyScandal #EpsteinFiles #UKPolitics #BreakingNews #PoliticalCrisis #IntelligenceLeak #RussiaUK #ParliamentClash #EpsteinNetwork #GlobalScandal #DeepState
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Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey grills Prime Minister Keir Starmer, demanding answers on whether UK state secrets were leaked to Jeffrey Epstein — and whether those secrets may have ended up in Russian hands.
#EpsteinScandal #UKParliament #MandelsonEpstein #EdDavey #KeirStarmer #RussianSpy #Putin #UKSecrets #NationalSecurity #SpyScandal #EpsteinFiles #UKPolitics #BreakingNews #PoliticalCrisis #IntelligenceLeak #RussiaUK #ParliamentClash #EpsteinNetwork #GlobalScandal #DeepState
~HT.318~ED.420~PR.152~
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NewsTranscript
00:00Mr Speaker, the Polish government think Epstein may have been spying for Vladimir Putin.
00:08Is the Prime Minister concerned that Peter Manson may have been leaking state secrets,
00:13not just to a paedophile American financier, but also a Russian agent?
00:20Well, Mr Speaker, he talks of a public inquiry.
00:24Obviously, the focus now has to be on the criminal investigation which has started.
00:29As he knows, that investigation will go wherever the evidence leads it.
00:33And I've made it absolutely clear that the government will cooperate, as he would expect,
00:37with that criminal investigation wherever it goes.
00:40Mr Speaker, the Polish government think Epstein may have been spying for Vladimir Putin.
00:47Is the Prime Minister concerned that Peter Manson may have been leaking state secrets,
00:52not just to a paedophile American financier, but also a Russian agent?
00:59Well, Mr Speaker, he talks of a public inquiry.
01:04Obviously, the focus now has to be on the criminal investigation which has started.
01:09As he knows, that investigation will go wherever the evidence leads it.
01:13And I've made it absolutely clear that the government will cooperate,
01:15as he would expect, with that criminal investigation.
01:19The whole House will be disgusted by the latest revelations about Jeffrey Epstein.
01:24All of us want to see his victims get justice.
01:30But the political decision to appoint Epstein's close associate, Peter Mandelson,
01:36as Britain's ambassador to Washington,
01:39goes to the very heart of this Prime Minister's judgment.
01:43When he made that appointment,
01:45was he aware that Mandelson had continued his friendship
01:49even after Epstein's conviction for child prostitution?
01:55Mr Speaker, let me start where I must,
01:58with the victims of Epstein.
02:00And all of our thoughts are with them.
02:03Can I also say our thoughts are with all those
02:05who lost jobs, savings and livelihoods
02:09in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crash.
02:13To learn that there was a Cabinet Minister
02:16leaking sensitive information
02:18at the height of the response to the 2008 crash
02:21is beyond infuriating.
02:24And I am as angry as the public
02:26and any member of this House.
02:29Mandelson betrayed our country,
02:32our Parliament and my party.
02:35Mr Speaker,
02:37he lied repeatedly to my team
02:39when asked about his relationship with Epstein
02:42before and during his tenure as ambassador.
02:46I regret appointing him.
02:48If I knew then what I know now,
02:51he would never have been anywhere near government.
02:54And that is why, Mr Speaker,
02:56yesterday the Cabinet Secretary,
02:58with my support,
03:00took the decision to refer material to the police.
03:03And there is now a criminal investigation.
03:05I have instructed my team
03:08to draft legislation
03:09to strip Mandelson of his title
03:11and wider legislation
03:13to remove disgraced peers.
03:16And this morning,
03:17I have agreed with His Majesty the King
03:20that Mandelson
03:22should be removed
03:23from the list of Privy Councillors
03:25on grounds that he has brought
03:27the reputation of the Privy Council
03:28into disrepute.
03:30Mr Speaker,
03:35I asked the Prime Minister
03:36a very specific question.
03:38Did he know
03:40that Mandelson
03:40had continued his friendship
03:42with Epstein
03:43after the conviction?
03:45He says if he knew then
03:46what he knows now.
03:47But he did know.
03:49In January 2024,
03:51a journalist from the Financial Times
03:53informed the Prime Minister
03:54that Mandelson
03:55had stayed in Epstein's house
03:57even after that conviction
04:00for child prostitution.
04:02So did the Prime Minister
04:04conveniently forget this fact
04:06or did he decide
04:07it was a risk worth taking?
04:11Mr Speaker,
04:12as the House would expect,
04:15we went through a process.
04:18There was a due diligence exercise
04:22and then there was security vetting
04:26by the security services.
04:30What was not known
04:31was the sheer depth
04:34and extent of the relationship.
04:37He lied about that
04:39to everyone for years.
04:42A new information was published
04:44in September
04:44showing the relationship
04:46was materially different
04:48to what we had been led
04:49to believe.
04:50When the new information
04:53came to light,
04:54I sacked him.
04:55But we did go through
04:56a due diligence exercise.
04:58The points
04:58that are being put to me
05:01were dealt with
05:02within that exercise.
05:04In response
05:05to the humble address
05:06this afternoon,
05:07I intend to make sure
05:09that all of the material
05:11is published.
05:13Mr Speaker,
05:17the only exemptions
05:18are national security,
05:20if it prejudiced
05:21national security.
05:23My first duty
05:24is obviously
05:24to keep this country safe.
05:26When we drafted
05:26humble addresses,
05:28we always put an exemption
05:29for national security.
05:31But also,
05:32anything will prejudice
05:33international relations.
05:35Mr Speaker,
05:36you in the House
05:36will appreciate
05:37that in the course
05:39of discussions
05:39country to country,
05:40there are very sensitive issues
05:42of security,
05:43intelligence,
05:44and trade,
05:46which cannot be disclosed
05:48without compromising
05:49the relationship
05:49between the two countries
05:51or a third country.
05:53Mr Speaker,
05:54so that I can be
05:55totally open
05:55with the House,
05:57I should also disclose
06:00that the Metropolitan Police
06:02have been in touch
06:03with my office
06:04this morning
06:04to raise issues
06:07about anything
06:08that would prejudice
06:09their investigations.
06:11We are in discussion
06:12with them about that,
06:13and I hope to be able
06:13to update the House,
06:15but I do think
06:15I should make that clear
06:16to the House
06:17at this point
06:18because those discussions
06:19are ongoing.
06:20Mr Speaker,
06:21I'm going to come
06:23to the humble address
06:24in a moment,
06:26but the Prime Minister
06:26cannot blame the process.
06:29He did know
06:30it was on Google.
06:32If the Conservative
06:33Research Department
06:34could find this information out,
06:35why couldn't number 10?
06:37On the 10th of September,
06:40when we knew this,
06:42I asked him
06:42at that dispatch box,
06:43he gave Mandelson
06:44his full confidence
06:46at that dispatch box,
06:47not once,
06:48but twice.
06:49He only sacked him
06:50after pressure from us.
06:52I am asking the Prime Minister
06:54something very specific,
06:56not about the generalities
06:57of the full extent.
06:59Can the Prime Minister
07:00tell us,
07:01did the official security vetting
07:03he received
07:04mention Mandelson's
07:06ongoing relationship
07:07with the paedophile
07:09Geoffrey Epstein?
07:10Prime Minister.
07:12Yes, it did.
07:15As a result,
07:18various questions
07:19were put to him.
07:20I intend to disclose
07:21to this House
07:22the national security
07:25prejudice to international relations
07:27on one side.
07:28I want to make sure
07:29this House
07:32sees the full documentation
07:33so it will see for itself
07:36the extent to which
07:38time and time again
07:40Mandelson
07:41completely misrepresented
07:43the extent of his relationship
07:45at Vepstein
07:45and lied throughout
07:47the process,
07:49including in response
07:50to the due diligence.
07:54Mr Speaker,
07:55I think it is shocking
07:56what the Prime Minister
07:57has just said.
07:59How can he stand up there
08:01saying that he knew
08:02but he just asked
08:03Peter Mandelson
08:04if the security vetting
08:06was true or false?
08:07This is a man
08:08who had been sacked
08:09from Cabinet
08:09twice already
08:11for unethical behaviour.
08:13That is absolutely shocking.
08:14And that is why
08:15later today
08:16my party
08:17will call on the government
08:18to release
08:19all documents
08:21relating to
08:22Mandelson's appointment
08:23not just the ones
08:24the Prime Minister
08:24wants us to see.
08:26Because this government
08:27is trying to sabotage
08:28that release
08:29with an amendment
08:30to let him choose
08:31what we see.
08:32The man who appointed
08:33Mandelson in the first place.
08:35Labour MPs
08:37now have to decide
08:39if they want to be
08:40accessories
08:41to his cover-up.
08:42Can the Prime Minister
08:45guarantee
08:46that he won't
08:47remove the whip
08:48if they refuse
08:49to vote
08:50for his whitewash amendment?
08:52Prime Minister
08:54Mr Speaker
08:55The first exemption
08:58is in relation
08:58to anything
08:59that could compromise
08:59national security.
09:02That is not a small matter
09:06and many members
09:08on the benches
09:08opposite
09:09will know precisely
09:10why that needs
09:10to be in the exemption.
09:12When we were drafting
09:13humble addresses
09:14when we were sitting
09:15over there
09:15we always made sure
09:17that exemption was in
09:18because we knew
09:19how important it was
09:20to the then government.
09:22I don't think
09:22I've seen a humble address
09:24without that in
09:25because
09:26just to be clear
09:30to vote
09:31to release something
09:32that would prejudice
09:33national security
09:34is wrong in principle.
09:37The second exemption
09:38is in relation
09:40to things
09:41that would prejudice
09:42international relations.
09:44There will be discussions
09:45about security
09:46and intelligence
09:47and trade
09:48which are highly sensitive
09:50to the two countries
09:52involved
09:53and to third countries.
09:54Well they have to ask
09:55themselves
09:55whether they want
09:56to vote
09:56to prejudice
09:57our national security.
09:58I don't think
09:59in fairness
10:03that they do.
10:04But can I reassure
10:05the House
10:05Mr Speaker
10:06let me reassure
10:07the House
10:08that the process
10:09for deciding
10:10what falls
10:11into those categories
10:12will not be
10:13a political process.
10:14it will be led
10:16by the Cabinet Secretary
10:17supported by
10:19government legal teams
10:20so they will be
10:21looking at the
10:22question of prejudice
10:23they will be
10:24making that decision.
10:25The only additional
10:26thing I just want
10:27to put before the House
10:28because there was
10:29a discussion
10:29this morning
10:30with the Metropolitan Police
10:31is that we are
10:33in discussions
10:33with them
10:34about any material
10:36that they're concerned
10:37will prejudice
10:38their investigation.
10:39we're at an early stage
10:40of that discussion
10:42but I didn't want
10:44to have the House
10:45not know
10:46that that discussion
10:46is going on.
10:50Mr Speaker
10:51the Prime Minister
10:52is talking about
10:53national security.
10:54The national security
10:55issue was appointing
10:56Mandelson
10:57in the first place.
10:59And what he has said
11:01about the humble address
11:03is a red herring.
11:04To those Labour MPs
11:06who were not there
11:06in the last Parliament
11:07let me tell them
11:08humble addresses
11:09already exempt
11:10genuine national security.
11:13This is not about
11:13national security
11:14this is about
11:15his job security.
11:17His amendment
11:18lets him withhold
11:20anything to do
11:21with international relations
11:23but this whole
11:24appointment
11:24is to do
11:25with international relations.
11:27So if they're
11:28voting for it
11:28they are voting
11:29for the cover-up.
11:31If the Prime Minister
11:32is serious
11:33about national security
11:34concerns
11:35then he should ask
11:36the Intelligence
11:37and Security Committee
11:38to decide
11:39which documents
11:40should be released.
11:41Will he commit
11:42to doing so
11:43here and now?
11:45The Prime Minister
11:46Mr Speaker
11:47I've set out
11:47the process
11:49it won't be
11:50a political process
11:51it will be
11:53led by the
11:54Cabinet Secretary
11:54supported by
11:55the Government
11:56legal teams
11:57but I'm pleased
11:58that she
11:59I think now
12:00accepts
12:00that at least
12:02the first exemption
12:03that we've written in
12:04to the amendment
12:05the petition
12:06is the right amendment
12:07in relation to
12:08prejudice
12:09national security
12:11but she
12:12and others behind her
12:13will understand
12:14that because of
12:15the breadth
12:16of what's asked for
12:17and we're doing
12:17everything we can
12:18to make sure
12:19this is fully
12:19transparent
12:20and disclosed
12:21but she
12:23and those behind her
12:24will understand
12:24from their own
12:25experience in Government
12:26the sensitivity
12:28of information
12:29about security
12:30and intelligence
12:32and trade relations
12:33that are inevitably
12:34caught
12:35in exchanges
12:36of the nature
12:38that have been
12:38asked for
12:39and it is right
12:40that anything
12:40that prejudices
12:41not touches on
12:42prejudices
12:43international relations
12:45is protected
12:46within the disclosure
12:48if that was really
12:51the case
12:51then he wouldn't
12:52mind if the ISC
12:53had a look
12:54and let's be clear
12:56he says the
12:57Cabinet Secretary
12:58makes it non-political
12:59but that doesn't
13:00make it independent
13:02what we want
13:03is an independent
13:04look
13:05the ISC
13:05is independent
13:06the Cabinet Secretary
13:07works for him
13:08we know that there
13:09will be a cover-up
13:10because this
13:11implicates
13:12the Prime Minister
13:13and his Chief of Staff
13:15Morgan McSweeney
13:16a protege
13:17of Peter Mandelson
13:19the Prime Minister
13:20chose to inject
13:22Mandelson's poison
13:23into the heart
13:24of his Government
13:25on the advice
13:26of Morgan McSweeney
13:27his catastrophic
13:29lack of judgement
13:30telling us now
13:32that he did know
13:33has harmed
13:34the special relationship
13:35it has endangered
13:36national security
13:37it's not the humble
13:38address
13:38it's him
13:39it's compromised
13:40our diplomacy
13:40and it has embarrassed
13:42our nation
13:43after all of this
13:44does he have
13:45the same full confidence
13:47in Morgan McSweeney
13:48that he had
13:49in Peter Mandelson
13:50Prime Minister
13:52McSweeney is an essential
13:53part of my team
13:54he helped me change
13:55the Labour Party
13:56and win an election
13:57of course I have
13:58confidence in him
13:59but Mr Speaker
14:00whatever is slung
14:03across this dispatch box
14:04I don't think it's right
14:05for the Cabinet Secretary
14:07to be denigrated
14:08in that way
14:09and to suggest
14:11that he would be involved
14:15in a cover-up
14:16there's the politics
14:19that comes over the dispatch boxes
14:21but I honestly don't think
14:22it's right
14:22to impugn the Cabinet Secretary
14:24in that way
14:25I suspect in their heart of hearts
14:28many on those benches
14:29would agree
14:29Mr Speaker
14:31I'm as angry as anyone
14:32about what Mandelson
14:34has been up to
14:35the disclosures
14:36that have been made
14:37this week
14:38of him
14:38passing sensitive information
14:40at the height
14:41of the response
14:42to the 2008
14:44financial crisis
14:45is utterly shocking
14:46and appalling
14:47he's betrayed our country
14:49he's lied repeatedly
14:50he's responsible
14:51for a litany of deceit
14:53but this moment
14:55demands
14:55not just anger
14:56but action
14:57and that's why
14:58we've moved quickly
14:58referring material
15:00to the police
15:00publishing legislation
15:02so we can remove titles
15:03from disgraced politicians
15:05and stripping Mandelson
15:06of his privy councillorship
15:08that is what the public expect
15:09and that is what we will do
15:11Thank you Mr Speaker
15:14every month
15:15people across our constituencies
15:17are injured
15:18by illegal e-bikes
15:20being ridden
15:21at 30, 40
15:22and 50 miles per hour
15:23through our town centres
15:25and parks
15:26but for every illegal e-bike
15:27that the police seize
15:29and crush
15:29another 10
15:30hit our streets
15:31because they are too
15:33freely available to buy
15:35that's why
15:36Cumbria's Police, Fire and Crime
15:38Commissioner
15:38and 28 other
15:40police commissioners
15:41across the UK
15:42are now backing my bill
15:43which would ban
15:45the sale
15:45of illegal e-bikes
15:47will the Prime Minister
15:48set out what action
15:49the Government will take
15:51to protect the public
15:52and ban the sale
15:53of these monster bikes
15:54Prime Minister
15:56Can I pay tribute
15:57to my honourable friend
15:58she's a tireless campaigner
15:59to stop these
16:00anti-social
16:00dangerous bikes
16:01terrorising communities
16:03our Crime and Policing Bill
16:06means police can seize bikes
16:07without issuing a warning
16:09and destroy them
16:10and Product Safety Law
16:12means authorities
16:13have the powers
16:13to intervene
16:14to stop the sale
16:15of unsafe e-bikes
16:16but I share her determination
16:18to get these bikes
16:19off our streets
16:20Sir Ed David
16:22Leader of the Liberal Democrats
16:23Mr Speaker
16:26can I thank you
16:26and the Prime Minister
16:27for your responses
16:28to my tribute
16:29to Jim Wallace
16:30on Monday
16:30and urge the whole House
16:32to read the wonderful
16:33tributes made to Jim
16:34in the other place
16:35yesterday
16:36Mr Speaker
16:37I've been thinking
16:38how it must feel
16:39for the victims
16:40of Jeffrey Epstein
16:41and their families
16:42hearing more and more stories
16:45of how rich
16:45powerful men
16:47were currying favour
16:48with a paedophile
16:49sex trafficker
16:51such as Peter Mandelsson
16:52sending government secrets
16:54to help Epstein
16:56enrich himself further
16:57seeing Anderson
17:00made ambassador
17:00to the United States
17:02even after his links
17:04to Epstein
17:04had been extensively reported
17:07by both the Financial Times
17:09and Channel 4 News
17:10so can the Prime Minister
17:12tell us
17:13given he now admits
17:14he knew about those links
17:15before he gave
17:17such an important job
17:18to one of Epstein's
17:19closest friends
17:20did he think at all
17:22about Epstein's victims
17:24Mr Speaker
17:27we looked at the material
17:30there was a process
17:31there was then
17:32he will understand
17:34there was then
17:35a security vetting
17:36exercise as well
17:38and that's why I started
17:39by saying
17:39all of our thoughts
17:40are with the victims
17:41of Epstein
17:42he is right
17:43at the beginning
17:44of his question
17:44to express anger
17:46at the material
17:47that has recently come out
17:49in relation to
17:50sensitive information
17:51in the aftermath
17:52of the 08 crash
17:53and that is why
17:54yesterday
17:54working with the
17:56Cabinet Secretary
17:56we referred
17:57the material
17:58to the police
17:59which has now led
18:00to the criminal investigation
18:02that is going to follow
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18:07and never miss an update
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