Keir Starmer repeatedly dodged questions about the Peter Mandelson scandal during a bizarre PMQs performance.

The PM refused to say whether he had personally spoken to the disgraced former peer before making him the UK’s ambassador to Washington – even though No.10 has previously admitted he did not.

Mandelson was sacked by Starmer after just six months in the job after the full extent of his links to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein were revealed.

At prime minister’s questions, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch asked Starmer several times to confirm that he handed Mandelson the plum diplomatic role without speaking to him first.

But the PM chose instead to talk about Badenoch’s shifting position on Iran and Tory frontbencher Nick Timothy’s “appalling” tweet about Muslim group prayer in Trafalgar Square.

The Tory leader said: “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 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.”

When Badenoch asked him again, the PM replied: “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.”

The Tory leader then tried a third time to get a straight answer out of the PM.

She 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.

“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?”

But Starmer told her: “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.”