Mandelson-Epstein scandal leaves Keir Starmer with questions to answer at emergency debate: UK politics live

The Independent’s Political Correspondent Archie Mitchell reports:

One of Sir Keir Starmer’s top aides has quit after it emerged he had exchanged sexually explicit messages about the veteran left-wing MP Diane Abbott.

In a fresh blow to the beleaguered prime minister, Paul Ovenden announced he was leaving his role as Downing Street’s director of strategy to avoid becoming a “distraction” after the 2017 messages were uncovered.

The former journalist, who has worked for Labour for more than a decade, had reportedly exchanged emails with a colleague at the time that included sexually explicit remarks about Ms Abbott.

The story of Lord Peter Mandelson’s relationship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein is one that won’t go away – unfortunately, for Sir Keir Starmer.

The PM’s choice last December to elect Mandelson, the veteran Labour politician, to the role of US ambassador was high risk, high reward, given the figure’s well-known relationship with Epstein.

But fresh revelations about Mandelson’s support for Epstein even after the disgraced former banker was jailed for a child sex offence tipped the scales the wrong way for Sir Keir.

The rewards, which include a trade deal with the US, have been fatally outweighed by the risks.

Below, you can read the full story of Mandelson’s sacking and the fresh revelations about his relationship with Epstein.

The so-called Hillsborough Law will not be watered down in Parliament, a justice minister has promised.

Asked whether she could guarantee that the Bill would not be watered down as some Hillsborough families fear, justice minister Alex Davies-Jones said: “Of course, and I recognise those concerns.

“These families have been fighting for decades for justice. They have been making promise after promise, and the previous government failed to do in 14 years what this Government has done in 14 months in bringing forward that legislation.”

She added: “I will be making sure with my colleagues in Parliament that it remains as robust as it can be and is a fitting tribute to all those who have campaigned for this.”

Deportations under the “one in, one out” deal with France will go ahead, a minister has insisted.

But justice minister Alex Davies-Jones said she would not give a “running commentary” on when deportations would occur, claiming this would give people smugglers “exactly what they want”.

She told Times Radio: “I’m not going to comment or give a running commentary on what is happening here.”

Asked when migrants would be returned to France, she said: “These deportations will be happening as soon as possible.”

But she declined to say when, or whether asylum seekers due to arrive from France as part of the scheme would still fly to the UK later this week.

Asked why she would not comment, she said: “If I was to break down with you exactly a time-by-time, day-by-day movement on our returns policy, then that would be giving these abhorrent people smugglers exactly what they want.

“This would be allowing them to know what the Government is doing when, and they would be able to respond to that. We are not going to be doing them any favours.”

The victims minister has said she was “disgusted” by Lord Mandelson’s emails to Jeffrey Epstein and “knew he had to go”.

Alex Davies-Jones said she is “glad that he has gone” and supported Sir Keir Starmer’s handling of the scandal.

“The prime minister appointed him on the information he had at hand and as soon as he was aware as I said, the action was taken and he was removed and he was right to be removed,” she told BBC Breakfast.

Ms Davies-Jones said: “When I read what was in those emails, I was truly disgusted, and I knew that Mandelson had to go, and I’m glad that he has gone.”

Sir Keir Starmer will come under fresh pressure on Tuesday as he faces a debate on who knew what and when about Lord Mandelson’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein.

The prime minister will send out one of his ministers to defend his handling of the scandal of the now-sacked ambassador to Washington’s friendship with the paedophile.

He has faced scrutiny after admitting he was aware of a cache of emails, but not of their content, before he went out to defend Lord Mandelson at PMQs last week.

The contents of the emails later proved fatal for Lord Mandelson’s ability to cling on to the job, raising questions about why Sir Keir went out to bat for the Labour grandee.

There’s a lot going on today in the world of UK politics, as Sir Keir Starmer faces further scrutiny over his government’s appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson.

It’s been a turbulent few weeks for Sir Keir; after the resignation of his deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner, followed by an emergency cabinet reshuffle and then the sacking of Mandelson, MPs are now openly speculating that his premiership could come to an abrupt halt.

It went from bad to worse for Sir Keir last night as another of his top aides, director of strategy Paul Ovenden, quit over lewd comments about veteran MP Dianne Abbott.

And it’s all unfolding as Donald Trump readies to touch down in the UK this evening for a state visit. The US president is expected to grill the PM over Britain’s free speech laws.

You can follow all the day’s events here as we bring you live updates.