Starmer's position is untenable
Scottish Greens Co-Leader Gillian Mackay MSP has called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to resign following the release of documents showing that Peter Mandelson sought a taxpayer-funded pay-out of more than £500,000 after being dismissed as UK ambassador to the United States.
The files reveal that Mandelson opened negotiations by asking the Foreign Office to pay out the remainder of his contract, amounting to more than half a million pounds. Despite the scale of the request, he ultimately received a whopping £75,000 payment funded by the tax payer.
The UK Government has since said in the House of Commons that the documents reveal the due diligence process used in the appointment of Mandelson "fell short".
Scottish Greens Co-leader, Gillian Mackay MSP said:
“These revelations show the rotten boys’ club culture of entitlement, cronyism and cover-up that still sits at the heart of Westminster politics.
“Peter Mandelson, a former Labour Lord whose career has repeatedly been overshadowed by scandal, shamefully tried to extract more than half a million pounds from the taxpayer after being dismissed. Even after that outrageous demand, he still walked away with a £75,000 payoff, paid by the taxpayer.
“People will rightly be furious that a political insider with Mandelson’s shameful record was able to seek such an extraordinary pay-out from the taxpayer in the first place - especially at a time when people across the UK are struggling with rising costs, collapsing public services and years of cuts which are being exacerbated by Keir Starmer’s Labour party.
“The UK Government now admits mistakes were made, but this goes far beyond an administrative error. It shows a profound failure of judgement at the very top of government.”
Gillian added:
“Mandelson’s appointment was made at the direct instruction of Keir Starmer, despite serious warnings about the reputational risks of doing so.
“Time and time again the victims are forgotten, while powerful men close ranks to protect their own. That culture of impunity has no place in public life, and it should have no place in government either.
“The Prime Minister chose to appoint him. The Prime Minister oversaw the government that authorised this pay-out. The Prime Minister is therefore responsible for the scandal that has followed. If the Prime Minister has any sense of responsibility left, he should do the honourable thing and resign.”