All Hell Breaks Loose in UK Parliament Over Trump and Epstein

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3:05Ben Meiselas:All hell broke loose in the United Kingdom Parliament yesterday as the opposition party pressed Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his government about Lord Mandelson, Peter Mandelson, one of Jeffrey Epstein's closest friends, who was all throughout these files. He was in his underwear and photos with girls engaged in some of the most disgusting communications with Epstein and likely some of the most grotesque behavior. And it turned out that the government under Prime Minister Keir Starmer when they were vetting Mandelson, who became the UK ambassador to the United States. The vetting showed these relationships with Epstein.

3:50Ben Meiselas:And apparently, Mandelson said, ah, what you're hearing is overblown. And I didn't really have these extensive relationships. And the government brought in Mandelson and kept him as a lord, kept him in these positions, appointed him as the ambassador. And now this is like toppling the government in the UK. right now. Prime Minister Keir Starmer did his best to try to defend the fact that he appointed Peter Mandelson to be UK ambassador to the United States. But unlike in the United States, where this Trump cabal just says, whatever, we don't care. We're just going to ignore the fact that Donald Trump appeared 38 ,000 times in the United Kingdom.

4:32Ben Meiselas:It's a big deal to have affiliations with the world's biggest pedo in Jeffrey Epstein. And so we're seeing the domino effects of the Epstein files in every other country other than in the United States government under the Trump regime, where they just deny that Donald Trump appears 38 ,000 times and Trump's at the center of the cabal. This is a very difficult time for Prime Minister Keir Starmer to try to survive this. Let me just show you what went down and you'll see the opposition in parliament. This is very, you know, the parliament in general in the UK, it's very combative. It's very in your face.

5:09Ben Meiselas:You have to stand up there and justify yourself, you know, on the floor of parliament. But I just want to share with you, you know, the types of questioning that Kierre Starmer was given by the opposition. Let's watch this first clip right here.

5:22Peter Mandelson:It absolutely beggars belief. And if we want to clean up politics, then this sort of thing should not be being allowed to happen. politics is a difficult place we know that but this this was down to judgment it was down to the judgment of one person or was it the judgment of others around that person so i urge the honorable and right honorable members on the labor benches opposite do the right thing this evening stand up for democracy stand up for parliament and stand up for decency Yeah. Alicia Cairns, I am here by the Deputy Speaker. Liberation Day. That is how Mandelson described the day of Epstein's release for prison, for procuring children to be trafficked and raped.

6:18Peter Mandelson:Mandelson's next message was, How is freedom feeling? Epstein replied, She feels fresh, firm and creamy. Mandelson's next reply, naughty boy. Now we haven't seen this email, I'll admit, when the ambassador was appointed. But let's look at what we did know when he was appointed ambassador. We knew at that point that he had consoled this paedophile, consoled him on his being found guilty and convicted for just one of the many, many crimes he committed. We also knew that while he was deputy prime minister of this country and business and trade secretary carrying the flag of our great nation on an official visit to New York, he stayed in a convicted paedophile's flat.

7:13Peter Mandelson:How dare he do that while representing this country? But the idea that no one in the cabinet office, no one at the Department of Business or Trade, no civil servant, no political appointee knew that he'd said, no, I don't need a hotel. Thank you ever so much. I'm going to stay at my friend Epstein's house. Oh, by the way, he happens to currently be in prison, incarcerated, but I'm going to stay at his house anyway. That, to me, raises serious questions about why he was not pursued for misconduct in public office back at that point. And no one can say that the Labour government did not know because having been a civil servant, I knew where my ministers were staying, when they were abroad.

7:52Peter Mandelson:Not sure they always wanted me to know, but I knew. and none of them would have ever done that. This is the heart of the issue with the judgment of the Prime Minister. Now on Monday one of its ministers, the government's minister said nobody objected when Mandelson was appointed. I would say look at Hansard, I remember objecting very very clearly and repeatedly because it was very clear at that point that Mandelson had repeatedly said that pepsin did not deserve to be in prison, that this was an awful time for him, how he was caring and thinking for his good friend. Why was there no investigation and why was the vetting not done right?

8:33Because there is no question that the vetting cannot have been

8:37Peter Mandelson:conducted properly. I have been through vetting myself and I accept it was not as a minister, but as a civil servant, I've been sat in a room with a rather elderly gentleman for two hours, asked about my every sexual proclivity, asked about when I lost my virginity, asked about whether I'd taken drugs or not, asked about every single aspect of my life. Because civil servants, whether they be apolitical or politicians in this place, should hold themselves accountable and be right to be appointed for these roles.

9:05Ben Meiselas:Here's another clip right here. Let's play it.

9:07Peter Mandelson:This has been an absolutely extraordinary day in British politics. It is not often that there is an audible intake of breath in this chamber, but we all heard it earlier on, that gasp when the Prime Minister admitted that, yes, he had known that Peter Mandelson had an ongoing relationship with Jeffrey Epstein at the point where he appointed him our ambassador to Washington. It is a truly extraordinary admission. And the argument that the prime minister is making now, and it is quite incredible, is that he did know, but he didn't know the depth and extent. And this implies that there is some reasonable extent to which you can be in a long term relationship with the world's most famous paedophile and still be appointed to our ambassador in Washington.

10:04Peter Mandelson:that you can be, to a certain reasonable in depth, involved with the world's most corrupt man and still be appointed His Majesty's ambassador. And now the Prime Minister is asking to be taken on trust. Well, after this whole sordid affair, I'm afraid that's just not good enough anymore. The Prime Minister knew, he knew that Mandelson had stayed in Epstein's house while he was in jail for child prostitution. Did that not set some alarm bells ringing in the mind of the Prime Minister? Or is that not deep enough a relationship to have worried the Prime Minister? The member for Skipton earlier on told the House that the British government was warned by one of our closest international allies about their deep concerns before his appointment.

11:00Peter Mandelson:Did that not set some alarm bells ringing in the mind of the Prime Minister? No, instead, he appointed a man who had twice had to resign over corruption. And now, unbelievably, his argument is, if only there had been some sign that Peter Mandelson was like this. Unbelievable, Madam Deputy Speaker. And this may just be the beginning. We really need to hear an answer now from the minister on a specific point which ministers ducked and refused to address earlier on. The whole house will hear if he does not answer. Will the government agree to a full investigation into Mandelson's behaviour while he was our ambassador in Washington?

11:43Peter Mandelson:Because on 27th of February last year, Mandelson arranged for the prime minister to meet Palantir, a client of Mandelson's company, Global Council. That meeting was not recorded in the PM's register of meeting. It only emerged later. Palantir were then awarded a£240 million contract by the government on a direct award rather than a competition. We need the cabinet secretary to examine the circumstances of that contract. Will a minister agree yes or no? And I asked the minister, why wasn't that prime ministerial meeting recorded in the normal way? How many more such lobbyist meetings were there?

12:22Peter Mandelson:What other inside information was shared with Mandelson's quiet? And will he now agree to a full inquiry into Mandelson's time as our ambassador? Yes or no? Can furthermore the minister reassure the House that the proper process has been followed for all Number 10's other appointments recently? Can he say that very clearly to the House and give us that reassurance. Now, before I come to the manuscript amendment, Madam Deputy Speaker, let me say something positive about some of the contributions we've heard today from the Labour backbenchers. The member for the Forest of Dean gave a genuinely superb speech in which he said he would not be able to look victims in the eye if he voted for the government's amendment.

13:04Peter Mandelson:He was alone. It was a brave speech. He was not completely alone because we also heard sensible comments from the Labour backbenchers, including from Oldham West, Ashton Under Lime, witness, Millswin Thornaby, pointing out that the government's cover-up amendment was simply not going to fly. I think the member for Liverpool, Wavertree, actually said that she would be ashamed to vote for it. And she was totally, totally right. All those Labour backbenchers have shown their character today. But what a contrast. What a contrast with the behaviour of the Prime Minister, who isn't here. He still hasn't apologised for appointing Mandelson.

13:37Peter Mandelson:And a few hours ago, he was telling this House that these documents couldn't be published. He was saying at PMQs that the leader of the opposition was outrageous and silly for even asking. And here we are, just a few hours later, and the government has added to a total U-turn because they know that they can't get their own people to vote for this shameful proposed cover-up. The Prime Minister has not been decisive. He only sacked Peter Mandelson because we forced him to do. He said again and again that he had full confidence in him. And I think many voters will be thinking, why on earth was the Prime Minister so deeply in hock to this man?

14:11Peter Mandelson:The truth is he was not out on a limb over in Washington. He was a deeply embedded part of the prime minister's operation. He was involved in the selection of some of the MPs here today. He was involved in the prime minister's reshuffle. He was part of the toxic culture that the health secretary, the Labour health secretary, has warned about in number 10. And most shamefully of all, we had a former Labour prime minister, Gordon Brown, whatever you think of him. He tried to get documents about some of the things that Peter Mandelson had done. He was rebuffed. Funnily enough, the documents couldn't be found.

14:40Peter Mandelson:Madam Speaker, whatever you think of Gordon Brown, when you choose Peter Mandelson over Gordon Brown, you are making the wrong decision.

14:48Ben Meiselas:And here is another clip of what went down. Let's play it. Directly, could he tell us,

14:55Peter Mandelson:did the official security vetting that he received mention Mandelson's ongoing relationship with the pedophile Jeffrey Epstein? And he replied, yes, it did. Now, the point is that when the minister says he lied to the prime minister, but the prime minister knew that the relationship was ongoing. So even if he lied about some other aspects of the relationship, cannot the minister see that the fact there was any ongoing relationship at all with a man who'd been imprisoned for paedophilia and prostitution? can he not see that that was an impossible position to defend and no subsequent lies or revelations alter the fact that the prime minister appointed him when he knew that he

15:56Ben Meiselas:now here's the exchange involving prime minister uh kia starmer of course labor for those who aren't in the UK, Labor Party, that's the governing party right now. And you'll see Keir Starmer get questioned about what did you know? When did you know it? What kind of judgment is this that you brought in Mandelson? And what does this say about your judgment in other areas? And look, Keir Starmer and lots of people who support Starmer are like, he's a well-intentioned you know, and decent, decent human being. So he's trying to address it honestly. And it's a very difficult situation for him to weather.

16:37Ben Meiselas:I'm not sure he's going to be able to survive this. Watch what happens when he's questioned. And you'll see this exchange right here.

16:44Peter Mandelson:Can the prime minister tell us, did the official security vetting he received mention Mandelson's ongoing relationship with the pedophile Jeffrey Epstein? Prime Minister? Yes, it did. As a result, various questions were put to him. I intend to disclose to this House, all of the national security, prejudice to international relations on one side. I want to make sure that I want to make sure this house sees the full documentation so it will see for itself the extent to which the extent to which time and time again, Mandelson completely misrepresented the extent of his relationship with Epstein and lied throughout the process, including in response to the due diligence.

17:38Ben Meiselas:And then there was another line of questioning about Keir Starmer meeting with Palantir in the United States. Peter Thiel is in a lot of instances in the files as well. And Mandelson, Peter Mandelson, his company has a lot of links with Palantir as well, as pointed out here. And so it's like you met with Palantir and Mandelson as the Palantir connection with Peter Thiel. And they were all speaking with Epstein in the files. Here, play this clip right here. Briefly, Mr. Speaker,

18:15Peter Mandelson:before I hand over to other members of the House to the conduct of Lord Mandelson whilst he was our ambassador in Washington. And I think that this is very relevant for our debate today because it exposes again, the prime minister's lack of judgment in appointing Peter Mandelson as our ambassador. There is obviously now very strong evidence to suggest that Mandelson behaved entirely inappropriately when he was a Secretary of State in the last Labour government. But there are now equally big questions, outstanding, about what was happening in 2025 in Washington. And this, as I say, is relevant now.

18:54Peter Mandelson:On the 27th of February, 2025, the Prime Minister, whilst in Washington, visited the American data and AI company Palantir at its headquarters. The meeting did not appear in the Prime Minister's register of visits. It only came to light later. Now, Palantir, we should remember or remind ourselves, was a client of Global Council, the company in which Peter Mandelson had a commanding share. later that year palantir received from this government a 240 million pound deal british companies couldn't compete that deal was granted by direct award given the allegations now coming to light about mandelson's conduct conduct can the minister assure the house that the cabinet secretary will review the circumstances around the award of that contract and assure himself that there are no other such contracts, no other undisclosed meetings, that the government is going to go through all of the communications that Mandelson sent out whilst he was ambassador, messages we must assume, some of which were sent to old business contacts, potential few business contacts, and so on.

20:18Peter Mandelson:in conclusion Mr. Speaker the Prime Minister knew that Peter Mandelson had maintained an unhealthy relationship with a man who was a convicted pedophile and he appointed him to the role of ambassador anyway everybody in this house should be shocked by it it must be concluded that had the Prime Minister been pressed on that point at the time the appointment would not have been made. But the prime minister knew, his aides knew, and the appointment was made anyway. What else did he know? Only after this humble address, only if the government treats with it in good faith, will we know that. I very much hope that it is not the case that we find that there are gaps in our security and vetting process.

21:05Peter Mandelson:If there are, the government will be able to fix them. But I think it's also likely that we'll see that there were reports that consistently raised concerns that were swept away. And it will then be the duty of the government to disclose who swept them away and why. Ultimate responsibility must rest with the prime minister. It is time for him to take responsibility.

21:31Ben Meiselas:you know and finally where this kind of netted out is uh prime minister starmers forced to give the files relating to mandelson's appointment as the uk ambassador to the united states to parliament's intelligence committee um and you know you'll see that there's a rebellion not just by the opposition i want to be clear as well from from labor party members of parliament as well the Labor Party doesn't support, you know, the Labor Party doesn't know what to do because they clearly don't support this. They don't support Mandelson and it puts them in a difficult situation. Here's what went down. Let's play this clip at the very end when that final order was made.

22:14Peter Mandelson:The question is the amendment be made since when an amendment to the amendment has been proposed as follows, that at the end of the Amendment A, and which shall instead be referred to the Intelligence and Security Committee in Parliament, the question is that the amendment be made and proposed amendment be made. As many of that opinion say aye. Aye! The Godry no. I think the ayes have it, the ayes have it. Right. The question is that Amendment A, as amended, be made. As many of that opinion say aye. Aye! Of the contrary, no, I think the ayes have it. The ayes have it. The question is that the motion, as amended, to be agreed to, as many of that opinion say aye.

23:01Aye!