Starmer-Mandelson latest: PM remains in deep jeopardy as poll says majority of voters think he should quit

A top corporate and financial crime lawyer visited Lord Mandelson’s house near Regent’s Park in central London on Saturday.

Adrian Darbishire KC arrived at the former cabinet minister’s house shortly before midday wearing black-rimmed glasses and a navy blue jacket and jeans.

He left the property around 90 minutes later.

The lawyer declined to comment as he left the house, including on whether he represents Lord Mandelson.

He was previously seen at the peer’s house on Friday, and was inside when police officers were searching the property throughout the afternoon and evening.

Mr Darbishire KC is described as “a superb tactician and a powerfully persuasive advocate” on the website of QEB Hollis Whiteman’s, where he is listed as joint head of chambers.

The barristers’ chamber says the lawyer “specialises in the defence of professional individuals charged in criminal and disciplinary proceedings arising in connection with their work”, adding Mr Darbishire “has vast experience of the full gamut of offences in this field and creatively defends against them with apparent ease”.

Lucy Powell told The Independent that the vote, on 26 February, represents “a line in the sand” in Labour’s fight to stop the advance of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.

The Independent’s political editor David Maddox and Whitehall editor Kate Devlin have this story below:

The majority of British voters think Sir Keir Starmer should step down over his handling of the Mandelson-Epstein scandal, a new poll has suggested.

Research conducted by Opinium for The Observer shoes 55 per cent of voters said they thought the prime minister should leave office.

Just 23 per cent said they thought he should stay, and 22 per cent said they did not know.

Keir Starmer is under pressure to release information regarding his visit to Palantir’s showroom alongside Lord Mandelson.

Starmer and Mandelson met the company’s CEO Alex Karp and were shown the company’s military technology.

Conservative MP and shadow chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, Alex Burghart, urged the cabinet secretary Wormald to review Palantir’s latest MoD contract “given the allegations now coming to light about Mandelson’s conduct”.

Starmer’s meeting with Palantir was not documented in the prime minister’s register of visits and was only acknowledged after, Burghart said.

Kemi Badenoch has said she believes Sir Keir Starmer knew about Lord Mandelson’s links to Epstein but “chose not to care”.

Speaking to The Telegraph, the leader of the opposition said: “I was in government for five years. I know how vetting works. I had to fight to get people into jobs.

“If the Conservative Research Department knew Mandelson had continued that friendship [with Epstein], everybody knew. But Starmer chose not to care. He promised to be whiter than white, yet gave us self-righteousness and false piety.”

David Lammy warned Sir Keir Starmer not to appoint Lord Peter Mandelson as US ambassador due to his links to Epstein, it has been reported.

Sources told The Telegraph the justice secretary told the prime minister he had not been in favour of bringing the “Prince of Darkness” back into government.

It comes after reports Angela Rayner also warned Sir Keir against appointing Lord Mandelson.

Starmer is facing pressure from his own party to step down as prime minister over his appointment of Lord Mandelson.

One Labour backbencher, Kim Johnson, an MP for Liverpool Riverside “I think he needs to seriously consider his position,” told Times Radio.

“He’s on the ropes and we have to think about the benefit of the country and the party. We have to consider the likelihood of what could happen, the stability of the country could be at stake.”

Former prime minister, Gordon Brown, said Lord Mandelson’s alleged lies during his appointment process as US ambassador were “not sufficient explanation for what happened”.

Mr Brown told BBC’s Radio 4’s Today programme: “There is a systemic failure to do proper vetting, to go through the proper procedures and to actually have, in my view, what should be public hearings for anybody who is going to be in a senior position representing the British government.”

Instead, he suggested there should be US-style confirmation hearings for new government ministers and senior appointments.