Bloomberg reported today: "What the Epstein files aim to topple is not the former U.S. president (Trump) who was his friend, but the prime minister (Keir Starmer of the UK) who had never met this disgraced financier and sex trafficker."
This statement is very humorous, yet cruel.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing the most serious political crisis since taking office due to his appointment of Peter Mandelson, a close associate of Epstein, as the UK's ambassador to the U.S. This has led to resignations among his core advisors, increased pressure within the party, and a threat to government stability.
The immediate trigger for the incident was that Prime Minister Keir Starmer appointed Peter Mandelson as the ambassador to the U.S. without knowing the details of their relationship.
Peter Mandelson, a veteran member of the Labour Party and former UK business secretary, has been found in documents related to the Epstein case to have had long-term and close ties with Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender. New documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice in early January 2026 show that Mandelson allegedly leaked sensitive market information to Epstein while in office and accepted funds from him. The London police have launched a criminal investigation into this matter.
In response, Starmer publicly apologized, admitting he had been deceived by Mandelson's "lies" about the extent of their relationship, and stated that he would never have appointed him if he had known the truth earlier.
As a result, several MPs have publicly questioned Starmer's judgment and leadership. A senior aide to a cabinet minister assessed that Starmer's chances of surviving this week were "50-50." Health Secretary Wes Streeting and others are considered potential successors.
Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch called for a vote of no confidence in Starmer. Nigel Farage, leader of the far-right Reform Party, called it "the worst political scandal in Britain in a century."
Starmer's crisis originated from a personnel appointment that sparked serious doubts. The incident quickly escalated, shaking his administration and triggering an internal trust crisis.
Ironically, compared to the "earthquake" in European politics, although many high-ranking officials and celebrities in the U.S. have been mentioned in the documents (such as Trump being mentioned over a thousand times), no major political figure has been removed so far. Meanwhile, the UK prime minister, who has no connection to the Epstein case, has fallen into a political crisis due to poor judgment in appointments and now faces the threat of being ousted. This has sparked discussions about different accountability cultures on both sides of the Atlantic.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1856688676682764/
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