BBC Question Time erupts as viewers confronts Starmer on Mandelson appointment
BBC Question Time was thrown into chaos as the audience began to heckle a Labour politician over whether Sir Keir Starmer should resign amid the fallout from the Lord Mandelson controversy
A Labour politician was questioned about Sir Keir Starmer’s future on tonight’s Question Time(Image: BBC)
Question Time audience members started jeering as a Labour politician was questioned about Sir Keir Starmer’s future. The Prime Minister is facing demands to resign amid claims he misled MPs after it emerged that Lord Peter Mandelson was appointed as US ambassador despite failing the security vetting.
Sir Keir, who has maintained he was not aware until earlier this week, has previously stated due process was followed in the appointment and the peer had clearance for the prestigious Washington role. BBC presenter Fiona Bruce asked Welsh Labour politician Huw Irranca-Davies whether Sir Keir should step down if he misled MPs.
Wales’s deputy first minister responded: “The story is breaking as we’ve come on air so I haven’t the full details of it but what I do understand so far is that the decision was taken by the Foreign Office but it wasn’t raised up to the Prime Minister or the Foreign Secretary either.”
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He then added: “The focus also has to be on the victims of Epstein”.
Bruce challenged him: “I’m asking a very simple question, there is no debate the victims are at the heart of this, but the question has been raised tonight about whether Keir Starmer has misled Parliament and if he has should he resign, what do you think? “
Mr Irranca-Davies said: “The question is where he or the Foreign Secretary were aware, we need to see the facts fully because the story is breaking as we’re sitting here.”
Welsh Lib Dem leader then interjected: “Is it not a yes or a no?” At that point, audience members called out: “Yes or no?”
Mr Irranca-Davies responded: “So what I would say is very straight on this, let’s get to the bottom of the facts first of all…” As he spoke, an audience member could be heard yelling: “He’s lied!” Mr Irranca-Davies continued: “Rather than leap to a conclusion.”
This follows a report by The Guardian revealing that security officials initially refused Lord Mandelson clearance, yet the Prime Minister had already appointed him as Britain’s most senior diplomat in the US, with the Foreign Office taking the unusual step of overriding the recommendation.
The Tories, Reform UK, the Lib Dems and the Greens have all demanded Sir Keir’s resignation.
Lord Mandelson, a political appointee rather than a career diplomat, was removed from his Washington post last September when further details emerged regarding his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
