Sir Keir Starmer has repeated his apology to Jeffrey Epstein’s victims, as he was pressed on Lord Peter Mandelson’s appointment at Prime Minister’s Questions.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said: “The Prime Minister tried to avoid scrutiny on the Mandelson files by releasing the documents immediately after Prime Minister’s Questions last week.

“So let me ask him now, did the Prime Minister personally speak to Peter Mandelson about his relationship with the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein before appointing him as our ambassador to Washington?”

The Prime Minister replied: “Let me start where I must. This was my mistake in making the appointment, and I’ve apologised to the victims of Epstein, I do so again. The Government is complying with the humble address in full, but we are also continuing to support the police in their investigation.

“The matter of process was looked at by the independent adviser on ministerial standards. It’s clear the appointment process wasn’t strong enough, and that’s why I’ve already strengthened it.

“But it was my mistake, and I’ve apologised for it. She should follow suit and apologise for her gross error of judgment in calling for the UK to join the war in Iran without thinking through the consequences.”

Political correspondent Millie Cooke reports:

Sir Keir Starmer has said Nigel Farage has “absolutely no judgement” and is “not fit to be prime minister” in a furious attack on the Reform leader over his position on the Iran War.

It came after Labour MP Steve Witherden accused the Reform leader of wanting to rip up Labour’s employment rights act.

He told the Commons: “I spent 20 years as a secondary school teacher in Wales. We worked hard. Labour has given them the biggest upgrade of rights in a generation, rights that millions of us fought hard to win.

“But the Honorable Member for Clacton wants to chuck it all in the bin. Does the prime minister stand by these rights and agree that only a vote for Labour in May will enshrine these fundamental workers rights?”

Responding, Sir Keir said: “I am very proud of our Employment Rights act. It delivers strong rights and protections including for all of our brilliant school staff.

“Reform, he’s right, would rip up those protections. They have nothing to offer but grievance and division. And, Mr Speaker, they have no judgement. Because just like the leader of the Opposition, the Member for Clacton said we should do all we can to support the US strikes and he said ‘I make that perfectly perfectly clear’.

“It was perfectly perfectly clear he got it completely wrong. And perfectly perfectly perfectly clear that he is now desperately trying to U-turn.” The PM added: “Absolutely no judgement. He’s not fit to be prime minster.”

Whitehall editor Kate Devlin reports:

Sir Ed Davey said an investigation by the New World newspaper into GB News had “found hundreds of shocking breaches of the rules of impartiality and accuracy.

“Yet, Ofcom has repeatedly refused to take action.”

He added: “Mr Speaker, we cannot let GB News propaganda turn our great country into their version of Trump’s America. Either the government rules aren’t fit for purpose or Ofcom isn’t properly enforcing them. Prime Minister, which is it?”

Sir Keir Starmer responded: “He’s right to raise an important question of free speech and our media. But it is a matter for Ofcom and it is important we let them deal with it.”

Kemi Badenoch has asked why Sir Keir Starmer failed to “do his duty” and speak to Lord Peter Mandelson before appointing him as US ambassador.

Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions, Mrs Badenoch said: “He is right, it is about his judgment. He has repeatedly told us that Peter Mandelson lied to him, but he won’t tell us if he actually picked up the phone and spoke to Mandelson before appointing him. This doesn’t make any sense. The Prime Minister told us on the record, and I quote, I believed the lies he told me. If the Prime Minister didn’t speak to him, how can he say he lied to him?”

Sir Keir replied: “The process is clear. It’s been looked at by the independent adviser.”

He went on to call for shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy to be sacked for a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, where he said Muslims praying in groups in public, after an event in Trafalgar Square, was an “an act of domination”.

Sir Keir said: “She appointed the shadow justice secretary. He said last night that Muslims praying in public, including the mayor of London, practising his faith are not welcome.

“He described it as an act of domination. Straight from the Islamist playbook. If he was in my team, he’d be gone. It’s utterly appalling. She should denounce his comments and she should sack him.”

Political editor David Maddox reports:

Veteran Tory MP Sir David Davis raises the question about the government’s plan to “abolish” jury trials in many cases.

He reads back comments from Labour MPs saying it is unworkable and quotes Sir Keir Starmer himself saying it would lead to the increase in wrongful convictions.

The question clearly angers Sir Keir who tells the veteran Tory that he “cannot look the victims of sexual violence in the eye any more” and justify continued delays to trials of their attackers.

He doubles down on the need for the reform and insists he is not abolishing jury trials in many cases.

But it was noticeable that the loudest cheers for Sir David came from Labour MPs.

Sr Keir Starmer declined to say whether he discussed Lord Peter Mandelson staying at paedophile Jeffrey Epstein’s house after he was convicted, during the appointment process for the US ambassador role.

At Prime Minister’s Questions, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said: “I know he doesn’t want to talk about the documents he tried to bury last week, he’s going to try and talk about anything else, but he’s not going to get away with it.

“I asked him a question, he did not answer. We know the Prime Minister was warned about the risk of appointing Peter Mandelson. This is not about the process.

“He knew that Mandelson stayed in Epstein’s house after Epstein had been convicted for child prostitution. He knew that. So I will ask him again, did he speak to Peter Mandelson about this before the appointment? Yes or no?”

The Prime Minister replied: “I’ve already made clear that he was asked questions and gave untruthful replies. The Government is complying with the humble address. the process has been set out, the independent adviser has looked at it, and he said, quote ‘the relevant process for a political appointee was followed’.

“Now, obviously this is a question of my judgment, but what about her judgment? She wanted to rush into a war with Iran without thinking it through.”

The 65-year-old, who once represented Reigate, is accused of one count of possessing a class A drug and three of possessing a class B drug.

The charges were brought after police searches of his home in Horley as part of a separate investigation, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.

Whitehall editor Kate Devlin reports:

Political editor David Maddox writes:

The Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey seems to have gone off piste during PMQs to ask about the UK building its own nuclear weapons and GB News.

He is currently facing his own whispering campaign from Lib Dem MPs who are concerned about his leadership and failure to make a breakthrough with the public.

His fondness for fringe topics is part of the problem.

No wonder Sir Ed is advertising for a new chief of staff who will be “responsible for short, medium and long term strategy”.

Apart from falling into water and dancing at conferences there seems to be little strategy at the moment.

Whitehall editor Kate Devlin reports:

The Tory leader has pushed on the bruise that is Angela Rayner for Keir Starmer.

In response to attacks on her leadership from Sir Keir, Kemi Badenoch told the Labour leader: “The PM wants to talk about my leadership. I’m shocked, because his former deputy has just fired the starting gun on the race to replace him, for this weak man to be replaced by a strong woman.”

Last night Ms Rayner warned Labour is “running out of time” to deliver change and cannot “go through the motions in the face of decline”, in a speech at an event held by the campaign group Mainstream.

To add to Sir Keir’s woes, Ms Rayner’s comments were defended by the Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, also seen as a possible successor to the PM, who said she had raised a “moral question” about new immigration curbs.

Sir Keir Starmer has repeated his pledge that the UK “will not be drawn into the wider war” in the Middle East.

The PM told the Commons: “I want to see this war end as quickly as possible. The longer it continues, the bigger the impact on the cost of living.”