UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is standing firm behind Ambassador Peter Mandelson after a resurfaced 2003 letter revealed Mandelson once called Jeffrey Epstein his "best pal." The letter, praising Epstein as “intelligent” and “sharp-witted,” emerged just days before U.S. President Donald Trump’s scheduled state visit to the UK. Mandelson, a senior Labour figure and now Britain’s ambassador to Washington, has faced growing scrutiny over his past ties to the convicted sex offender. In Parliament, Starmer defended the appointment, stating that “due process was followed,” while condemning Epstein as a “despicable criminal” who “destroyed the lives of so many women and girls.” The controversy has sparked political backlash and raised fresh concerns about transparency in diplomatic appointments.