An emergency debate will take place in parliament today over Sir Keir Starmer's controversial appointment of Peter Mandelson as his ambassador to the US.

Speaker Lindsay Hoyle has agreed to allot three hours for questions about what the government, and particular the prime minister, knew and didn't know about the depth of Lord Mandelson's relationship with billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein .

Lord Mandelson was appointed in January 2025 to the UK's most senior overseas diplomatic position - the ambassador to the US.

He had always admitted to having known Epstein, but last week the US Congress unveiled the contents of a 50th "birthday book" which revealed a much closer relationship.

Among the tributes to Epstein in it, Lord Mandelson had described him as "my best pal".

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