Keir Starmer sacks Peter Mandelson as the UK's ambassador to the US, after he faced mounting scrutiny over his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein
The Foreign Office says the decision was made "in light of additional information" from emails between the two men
They show that "the depth and extent of Peter Mandelson's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein is materially different from that known at the time of his appointment," the statement says - read it in full here
Starmer said on Wednesday "I have confidence in him", when pressed on Mandelson's appointment at PMQs
The question of what Starmer knew and when is not going away, writes the BBC's Henry Zeffman
In recent days, US lawmakers released a number of documents, including a letter from Mandelson in which he called the late convicted paedophile his "best pal" - he also said he believed further "embarrassing" correspondence would be published
Mandelson served as a key link between Starmer and Donald Trump during a crucial time for US-UK diplomacy
How Mandelson's links to Epstein got him sacked... in under 60 seconds
James Roscoe, the deputy head of mission at the British embassy in Washington, has been appointed interim ambassador to the US, Downing Street says.
Roscoe has taken over with immediate effect, Downing Street has confirmed, while a permanent replacement for Mandelson is chosen.
We're continuing to hear reaction to the sacking of Peter Mandelson earlier today.
Labour MP Jo White says reading the correspondence between Mandelson and convicted sex offender Epstein "sickened" her.
"It sickens me...clearly Peter Mandelson made very poor choices and decisions," she says.
White says she welcomes the decision the PM took to fire the ambassador, and adds that she believes Starmer would not have appointed Mandelson had he known exactly what Mandelson's connections to Epstein were.
"The issue is that Peter Mandelson was not open and honest with the PM and was more focused on his own career," says White.
Image source, PA MediaWe've just seen an X post from Labour MP Emily Thornberry, who claims that the UK Foreign Office "should not have stopped us asking questions" about Mandleson when his appointment was announced.
Thornberry sits on the Foreign Affairs committee alongside 10 other MPs.
"Since the first rumours of his appointment, my committee has repeatedly asked - publicly and privately - to question Peter Mandelson," writes Thornberry.
"The FCDO should not have stopped us from asking questions. The government should welcome such scrutiny."
Thornberry adds that "it is right" that Mandelson has now been sacked.
Image source, ReutersPeter Mandelson has been in and out of British politics for four decades. He has been no stranger to media headlines in that time.
The 71-year-old, born in Middlesex, was crucial in the New Labour project, which saw Tony Blair win the 1997 election with a huge landslide.
He was the party's campaign director before becoming an MP in 1992, and even played a secretive role (using the codename "Bobby") to assist Blair in victory.
Mandelson was a minister in different departments in the government until 2010, when Labour lost power. During that time, he was forced to resign his ministerial positions twice.
First in 1998, as trade and industry secretary. That was after it emerged that he had borrowed a substantial sum from a fellow cabinet minister to buy a house.
Then again in 2001, as Northern Ireland secretary, following a row about a passport application from an Indian billionaire.
He was revered by admirers and seen as a villain by many on the left, having led the internal fight of yanking the party back under Neil Kinnock. Scheming behind the scenes, he was given the nickname the "Prince of Darkness".
Jennifer McKiernan
Political reporter
The sacking of Lord Mandelson is the second time in less than a week Keir Starmer has shown a prominent member of his government out of the door.
The former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner quit before she was pushed five days ago over having paid the wrong amount of tax on her home, something she insists was a genuine error.
That means that in the last 12 months, Starmer has seen nine of his inner circle go, including Sue Gray, who quit as his chief of staff. Health minister Andrew Gwynne was also sacked.
We've also seen the resignations of former Transport Secretary Louise Haigh, former homelessness minister Rushanara Ali, anti-corruption minister Tulip Siddiq, aid minister Anneliese Dodds and whip Vicky Foxcroft.
Watch: PM says he has confidence in Mandelson
At the weekly grilling of the prime minister, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch focused most of her questions on the UK's ambassador to Washington.
Jennifer McKiernan
Political reporter
Labour MP Andy McDonald has said there is "widespread revulsion" in the party over Mandelson's links with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, amid growing calls for him to be sacked.
McDonald called for Mandelson to stand down "immediately" as the UK's ambassador to Washington, following fresh revelations in emails about his relationship with Epstein.
McDonald told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I'm afraid if he [Mandelson] doesn't do the right thing and resign today then the prime minister should sack him."
The PM will face "inescapable" questions about his own judgement in appointing Mandelson, said McDonald, who suggested the vetting process may have failed.
Asked how Labour MPs were feeling about Mandelson, McDonald said: "It is widespread revulsion that we, by association, being in the same party, are being brought under the microscope for something that he has done.
"There isn't anybody in the Labour Party who is supporting Peter Mandelson today and the prime minister's got to hear that and understand that he'll weaken his position if he continues to support him."
Image source, ParliamentTVNeil O'Brien asked about Mandelson during an urgent question earlier
About an hour ago, we were preparing to hear an urgent question about Mandelson's appointment.
Neil O'Brien was the one granted the question.
He asked if Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper "will make a statement on the process of the appointment of the United Kingdom's ambassador to the United States."
Foreign minister Stephen Doughty, who was standing in the commons on Cooper's behalf, said: "In light of additional information in emails written by Peter Mandelson, the prime minister has asked the foreign secretary to withdraw him as ambassador to the United States.
"The emails show, Mr Speaker, that the depth and extent of Lord Mandelson's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein is materially different from that known at the time of his appointment. In particular, Mr Speaker, Lord Mandelson's suggestion that Jeffrey Epstein's first conviction was wrongful and should be challenged is new information.
"In light of that, Mr Speaker, and mindful as we all are of the victims of Epstein's appalling crimes, he has been withdrawn as ambassador with immediate effect."
Jennifer McKiernan
Political reporter
The hoard of previously secret emails between Lord Mandelson and Epstein was revealed on Wednesday evening.
The reason they've caused such a scandal is because they show an ongoing and supportive relationship between the pair - even after the first allegations of sex crimes against Epstein became international news in 2006.
One email from Mandelson on 7 Jan 2008 states a contact has told him "I will really go for it on your friend now that his case is a bit more realistically salvageable."
A week later, Epstein told Mandelson an unidentified person referred to only as "mr. big" would meet Jay Lefkowitz, who was one of his defence lawyers. “Lefky is the way mr big refers to him,” Epstein wrote.
Mandelson has previously said he feels "a tremendous sense of regret" about meeting Epstein and taking "at face value the lies that he fed me and many others".
Image source, PA MediaLib Dems leader Ed Davey has demanded the prime minster come forth to parliament to further explain Mandelson's appointment as ambassador to the United States.
Following the news of Mandelson's sacking, Davey says Starmer must "come before Parliament and explain why Lord Mandelson was appointed in the first place, given everything the Government knew then."
He also called for the PM to appoint an ambassador who will "stand up to Trump, not cosy up to him and his cronies".
Chris Mason
Political editor
The decision to sack Mandelson was made at a meeting this morning between the prime minister and foreign secretary, the BBC understands.
The information published last night was, I am told, not available to those in government when Lord Mandelson was appointed as they came from what has been described as a "long closed" email address.
The prime minister reviewed the material last night.
Mandelson also did not have access to them.
Those in government continue to insist the normal vetting process was followed during the appointment process of the ambassador.
Jennifer McKiernan
Political reporter
Foreign Office Minister Stephen Doughty has said in the commons that there was "routine extensive vetting and background checks as a matter of course" before Mandelson was appointed.
He confirms the decision to sack Mandelson was made by the prime minister and the new Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper in light of "new information" in the emails.
Henry Zeffman
Chief political correspondent
The explanation being given by the government for Mandelson’s sacking is that there was new information in the emails released between him and Jeffrey Epstein yesterday.
Crucially, this new information was “materially different” from what was known at the time of his appointment.
I have already heard from several people within Labour who anticipate that pressure will build on the government to release documents associated with the vetting process in order for the government to prove that that is indeed the case.
Mandelson’s past relationship with Epstein was a matter of public record for some time before his appointment.
What exactly did Starmer know, or not know, beyond that which was in the public domain? That question is not going to go away.
Image source, ReutersConservative leader Kemi Badenoch has weighed in on Mandelson's withdrawal.
On X, she writes: "Mandelson might have gone but, just as with Angela Rayner, Starmer dithered when he needed to be decisive.
"Time and again he puts party above country. He has no backbone and no convictions. There are now serious questions over what Starmer knew and when. We deserve to know."
Yesterday at PMQs, Badenoch grilled Starmer about what he knew about Mandelson's relationship with Epstein. The PM repeatedly said that due process was followed in the appointment, but did not elaborate further.
Henry Zeffman
Chief political correspondent
An extraordinary end to an extraordinary career in public life. And this time, yes, surely it is the end.
The "third man" with Tony Blair and Gordon Brown in the creation of New Labour, Mandelson resigned from Blair's cabinet twice, spent four years in Brussels as Britain’s European Commissioner, and in the final stretch of Brown’s premiership he was essentially the deputy prime minister.
He has generally been seen to have done a very good job in those roles, just as - by common consensus in Whitehall and Washington - he had performed very well as ambassador.
But performance in the job has never been Mandelson’s problem.
And yet again it is something else which has brought him down.
Ahead of an urgent question to the Foreign Office in the commons this morning, Foreign Office Minister of State Stephen Doughty announced that the government had withdrawn Mandelson as ambassador to the US.
Watch below to see Doughty's statement.
Watch: Government to withdraw Mandelson as US ambassador, minister announces
Chris Mason
Political editor
The current attrition rate of senior figures in government this autumn is running at one per week.
Last week, the Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner resigns - knowing she would be sacked if she didn’t.
This week Lord Mandelson is sacked as the UK’s ambassador to the United States.
And we are only 10 days into the new political season.
Extraordinary.
Nick Eardley
Political correspondent
The pressure on the prime minister had been growing since PMQs yesterday.
Labour MPs I spoke to thought it was inevitable Mandelson would have to go. Some broke cover to say that on the record.
The government has said it was in response to new information.But there is also real concern among Labour MPs about how No 10 is dealing with crises.
Parliament has been back for a week - and in that time the PM has defended Angela Rayner and Peter Mandelson in the commons, only for both to then leave their jobs within days.
It was quite a flurry of breaking news there.
We were expecting Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper in the chamber to take an urgent question on the processes taken when Peter Mandelson was appointed the UK's ambassador to the US.
Instead, Foreign Office minster Stephen Doughty has stood in her place for the questioning. At the same time as the questions began, we received word from the Foreign Office that Mandelson was being withdrawn as ambassador.
We are following along and will keep you updated with key lines as they come through from Parliament - stick with us.
Here's the statement in full, issued by the Foreign Office:
"In light of the additional information in emails written by Peter Mandelson, the Prime Minister has asked the Foreign Secretary to withdraw him as Ambassador.
"The emails show that the depth and extent of Peter Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein is materially different from that known at the time of his appointment.
"In particular Peter Mandelson’s suggestion that Jeffrey Epstein’s first conviction was wrongful and should be challenged is new information. In light of that, and mindful of the victims of Epstein’s crimes he has been withdrawn as Ambassador with immediate effect."