SIR Keir Starmer today issued a grovelling apology for hiring Peter Mandelson as he came out fighting for his political survival.
The PM’s premiership is in freefall following fresh evidence of the disgraced Labour peer’s friendship with the American paedophile.
Many of his own MPs are out for blood after Sir Keir admitted he knew Lord Mandelson remained pals with Epstein when he made him US ambassador
Desperately trying to contain the crisis, he said today: “I am sorry, sorry for what was done to you, sorry that so many people with power failed you.
“Sorry for having believed Mandelson’s lies and appointed him. I’m sorry that even now you’re forced to watch this story unfold in public once again.
“But I also want to say this in this country, we will not look away. We will not shrug our shoulders, and we will not allow the powerful to treat justice as optional.
“We will pursue the truth. We will uphold the integrity of public life, and we will do everything within our power and in the interests of justice to ensure accountability is delivered.
“That is what the public expects.”
He added: “And in recent days, serious allegations and serious evidence has emerged concerning Mandelson’s conduct, including his relationship with Epstein, a convicted sex offender, it had been publicly known for some time that Mandelson knew Epstein, but none of US knew the depth and the darkness of that relationship.”
