Panicking Starmer faces Labour ‘cover-up’ claims as he fights to keep away from releasing Mandelson papers – with police probing disgraced peer over leaks to ‘Russian spy’ Epstein

Keir Starmer is fighting to dodge revealing damaging details of Lord Mandelson’s influence and vetting today amid Labour ‘cover-up’ claims.

The government has bowed to Tory demands to publish a huge range of material about the disgraced former ambassador, amid fears of defeat in a crunch Commons vote later.

However, Sir Keir – who faces a bruising PMQs at lunchtime – is trying to add a ‘national security and international relations’ exemption to the commitment, potentially giving ministers a get-out.

Labour MPs are openly saying the tweak is unacceptable this morning, as the government would be able to ‘mark its own homework’. 

The stage is set for a dramatic political showdown after police launched a criminal investigation into allegations Lord Mandelson passed market-sensitive information to Jeffrey Epstein while a Cabinet minister. 

Poland last night launched a probe into whether Epstein was a Russian spy – with British intelligence experts saying it was ‘very likely’ he was sharing compromising material with the KGB.  

Lord Mandelson has denied the huge tranche of evidence released by the US government on Friday shows he broke the law. 

The New Labour architect is to step down from the Lords today, after Sir Keir threatened to pass legislation to kick him out. He will retain his title unless there is a change in the law, and has insisted his career in public life is not over.   

Keir Starmer is fighting to dodge revealing damaging details of Lord Mandelson’s influence and vetting today amid Labour ‘cover-up’ claims 

A photograph released as part of the Epstein files apparently shows Lord Mandelson in his underwear talking to a woman who is wearing a white bath robe

The Tories have tabled an ‘humble address’ motion, an arcane parliamentary mechanism to try to compel the Government to release documents including due diligence work carried out by the Cabinet Office, emails between the PM’s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney and Lord Mandelson relating to his association with Epstein, and minutes of meetings held about the appointment

Giving interviews for the government this morning, Cabinet minister Wes Streeting confirmed that papers about Lord Mandelson’s vetting would be published.

He said there was a sense of betrayal about the peer’s actions, saying he did not regard the peer as a friend any more.

He told Times Radio: ‘You can see the outrage across the political spectrum and from people up and down our country.

‘I cannot state strongly enough how bitterly that betrayal feels for those of us in the Labour Party who feel very personally let down and also feel that he, as well as betraying two prime ministers, betraying our country and betraying Epstein’s victims, has fundamentally betrayed our values and the things that motivate us and the things that brought us into politics, which is public service and national interest, not self-service and self-interest.’

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch will look to focus fresh attention on Sir Keir’s move to appoint Lord Mandelson the UK’s ambassador to the US last year.

She demanded Downing Street explain the vetting process as she claimed concerns were ‘waved away’ so that the Prime Minister could make ‘a political appointment of a man who is a close friend of a convicted paedophile’.

Her party will table an humble address motion, an arcane parliamentary mechanism to try to compel the Government to release documents including due diligence work carried out by the Cabinet Office, emails between the PM’s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney and Lord Mandelson relating to his association with Epstein, and minutes of meetings held about the appointment.

Humble addresses, if passed, are binding on ministers.

Mrs Badenoch said she hoped Labour MPs ‘will join us in fighting for the truth’ amid speculation some Labour MPs could abstain amid anger over the affair on the backbenches.

No 10 added an amendment to the humble address calling for all documents to be published saying ‘except papers prejudicial to UK national security or international relations’, according to the Commons order paper.

But Labour MP Andy McDonald told Sky News he would probably still vote with Tories this afternoon.

‘If this amendment were to stand at face value it would be to throw a cloak over the entire Mandelson affair,’ he said.

‘We cannot have the government marking its own homework.’ 

Mr McDonald said the amendment was ‘a nonsense because it just is a way of not revealing information’. 

The Metropolitan Police said last night it had launched a probe into the former government minister for misconduct in public office offences, which carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

The Cabinet Office had passed material to the police after an initial review of documents released by the US Department of Justice as part of the Epstein files found they contained ‘likely market-sensitive information’ and official handling safeguards had been ‘compromised’.

Former prime minister Mr Brown also said he had provided the Met with ‘relevant’ information relating to Lord Mandelson’s ‘inexcusable and unpatriotic act’.

The tranche of documents includes an email seemingly from Lord Mandelson to Epstein, talking about the UK government having ‘saleable’ assets 

Newly released emails from 2009 appear to show Lord Mandelson share sensitive information on at least four occasions, including an assessment by Mr Brown’s adviser of potential policy measures including an ‘asset sales plan’.

Mr Brown also appeared to suggest that Cabinet Secretary Sir Chris Wormald had not heeded his request last September to examine communication between Lord Mandelson and Epstein.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman told reporters Mr Brown’s letter to Sir Chris had asked specifically about the sale of Royal Bank of Scotland assets to JP Morgan, and that the Cabinet Secretary had responded in November to say no files were found linking Epstein to the sale.

A Government spokesman said: ‘The Government stands ready to provide whatever support and assistance the police need.’