𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Keir Starmer ally Liz Kendall was left floundering as Sky News presenter Sir Trevor Phillips demanded she explain why Peter Mandelson was appointed US ambassador. Ms Kendall, the Science and Technology Secretary, attempted to take the moral high ground as the row over Mandelson grew, by saying that attention should focus on the women and girls abused by Mandelson’s friend, financier Jeffrey Epstein.

But Sir Trevor hit back, asking why Mandelson was ever given the job in that case. He said: “If your case now is that everyone should have had the women concerned, the women who were exploited, who were trafficked by Epstein,… why did the Prime Minister appoint somebody who he knew at the time of apointment had been a friend of Epstein?”

Ms Kendall replied: “You will know Trevor that the Prime Minister has rightly, in my view said the appointment was a mistake, and he has apologised for that.”

Sir Trevor interrupted, saying: “No, no, no. This is not the point I’m making.

“You’re just saying, anyone who had any sense, cared about this, thought about the women involved, would have taken a different decision.

“The prime minister had all the information at his disposal at that point. He still made the decision. So, is he one of the people who ignored the women?”

Liz Kendall insisted: “Absolutely not.”

Sir Trevor said: “Well, he must have done by your logic. Why did he appoint Peter Mandelson?”

Ms Kendall insisted: “Let me tell you this. I have never had a prime minister in my lifetime who has cared as much or has done as much about violence against women and girls.”

But Sir Trevor was not impressed, telling his guest: “You’re still not answering my question. If he cared so much, and it’s such a big deal, why did he appoint somebody who he knew was an associate of a convicted paedophile and stayed in his home.”

Liz Kendall appeared to suggest Keir Starmer didn’t know about Mandelson’s friendship with Epstein, insisting that Mandelson had not told the truth about it.

She said: “You will know he withheld information about it. He lifted about the extent of his relationship.”

Sir Trevor Phillips exclaimed: “Everybody in the country knew that!”