CABINET Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds has said that Sir Keir Starmer is fit to run the country despite questions about his judgement in the wake of the release of the Mandelson files.
Asked if the PM was fit to run the country, he told GB News: “The Prime Minister is absolutely fit to run the country. We’ve seen his judgment in recent weeks on Iran.
“But could I just deal with this directly? Because the Prime Minister has said an accepted responsibility for this decision.
“The Prime Minister has accepted responsibility for believing what he was told by Peter Mandelson. And most importantly, the Prime Minister has apologised to the victims of Jeffrey Epstein, who every time this matter is discussed, they are re traumatised by having to recall their terrible experiences.
“And you’re right, of course, to draw attention to the document that is now out there in the public domain. That includes the report about Peter Mandelson staying at Jeffrey Epstein’s home…the relationship that prompted the Prime Minister to order that further questions be put to Lord Mandelson, where he was given assurances.
“And he has said, the Prime Minister, he deeply regrets believing those assurances. Now, of course, that document isn’t before us for a very good reason. It’d probably be an easier conversation for me frankly if it was before us today, but the reason it isn’t is because the Metropolitan Police have asked us not to release it at this point so as not to affect their investigation.
“I’m sure all your viewers would realise that whether it’s this police investigation or any other police investigation into Epstein, that I and no other politician do something that impedes that investigation, that stops it reaching its conclusion.”
He added: “So as soon as the depth and darkness of the relationship between Peter Mandelson and Jeffrey Epstein became clear in the early autumn of last year, the Prime Minister moved very quickly to dismiss him because it was a completely different picture.
“But in terms of this process on the due diligence, which is the document we’ve been referring to, of course, it raised questions, serious questions. That’s why the Prime Minister asked for those further questions to be put to Peter Mandelson
“The Prime Minister has said he deeply regrets having believed the assurances he was given, but on the vetting process, which is one of the things the government is now looking at, that is obviously slightly different.
“That is about a quite intrusive but really important process that we do, asking very deep questions of people before they take up these public appointments. There’s also what’s called a Strap process, which is about people being able to access very classified secret material.
“Now that there are questions, I absolutely agree with you, that is why the government is looking now at that process going forward to make sure that we learn the lessons.”
