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  "path": "/2026/02/05/starmer-apologises-epsteins-victims-believing-peter-mandelsons-lies-26721638/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-02-05T11:27:39.000Z",
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  "textContent": "To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video\n\nUp Next\n\nPrevious Page\n\nNext Page\n\nKeir Starmer has said sorry to the victims of Jeffrey Epstein for having believed the ‘lies’ of the paedophile’s friend Peter Mandelson before appointing him as ambassador to the US.\n\nThe Prime Minister is under enormous pressure from his own MPs as the full extent of Mandelson’s relationship with the convicted sex offender emerges from files released at the weekend.\n\nAt yesterday’s PMQs, Starmer revealed he knew that relationship continued beyond Epstein’s conviction on child sex offences when Mandelson was hired last year.\n\nThe controversy has thrown a spotlight on the PM’s Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney, who was close with the former business secretary.\n\nSpeaking in East Sussex today, Starmer said: ‘The victims of Epstein have lived with trauma that most of us can barely comprehend, and they’ve had to live it again and again.\n\n‘They have seen accountability delayed and too often denied.\n\n##  Want to understand more about how politics affects your life?\n\nMetro's senior politics reporter Craig Munro breaks down all the chaos into easy to follow insight, walking you through what the latest policies mean to you. Sent every Wednesday. Sign up here.\n\n‘To them, I want to say this: 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.\n\n‘Sorry that even now, you’re forced to watch this story unfold in public once again.’\n\nHe continued to say Mandelson was hired after the ex-Labour peer told the vetting team a series of lies and ‘portrayed Epstein as someone he barely knew.’\n\nThe PM said: ‘When that became clear and it was not true, I sacked him.Such deceit is incompatible with public service.’\n\n**Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us atwebnews@metro.co.uk.** **Or you can submit your videos and pictureshere.**\n\n**For more stories like this, check our****  news page****.**\n\n**Follow Metro.co.uk onTwitter and Facebook for the latest news updates.** **You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alertshere. **\n\nComment now Comments  Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source ",
  "title": "Starmer apologises to Epstein’s victims for believing Peter Mandelson’s ‘lies’"
}