Sir Mel Stride said Sir Keir Starmer has “questions to answer” over Lord Peter Mandelson’s involvement with Jeffrey Epstein.

Speaking to GB News, the Shadow Chancellor called for a “full independent inquiry” in light of the latest release of the Epstein files.

Lord Mandelson announced he was leaving the Labour on Sunday, following the release of the new files which allege he received $75,000 (£55,000) from the late convicted paedophile.

The ex-UK Ambassador to the US said he decided to resign his party membership to avoid causing “further embarrassment” following new revelations.

Asked by GB News host Dawn Neesom if Sir Keir has “a lot of questions to answer” regarding Lord Mandelson, Sir Mel responded: “Yes he does, he’s shown no backbone whatsoever. He’s allowed this to run and run around with all these revelations through time, and to end up at a point where it’s been left to Peter Mandelson to actually step down.

“He should have been removed from the Labour Party some considerable time ago, but I think in this sort of haystack of information that’s now out there, we’re going to get more and more revelations through time.”

Calling for a “full inquiry” into Lord Mandelson, he added: “We’ve already got questions for Peter Mandelson to answer around money that he is alleged to have received back in 2003, and for both him and his then partner, now husband, and various other issues that are swirling around.

“And what we actually need now is a full, independent inquiry into who knew what when around all this Mandelson-Epstein affair going back many, many years now. And it is important because Peter Mandelson has been a prominent member of the Labour Party.

“He’s a member of the House of Lords, he’s a former ambassador to the United States for our country, and I think the very least we need now is transparency and a full independent investigation.”

Delivering his verdict on whether Lord Mandelson should answer questions in Congress after being summoned, Sir Mel said: “I think certainly Peter Mandelson should be attending any hearing that Congress wishes him to attend, because what we must not lose sight of here in all the sort of political knockabout is that there are real victims of this dreadful individual Epstein, real life victims, and in the case of one of them, somebody who took their own life. And we need to have answers.

“We owe it to them to give those answers, and when powerful people in important decisions with lots of wealth and so on and so forth behave in that way, we do need to get to the bottom of exactly what has happened.

“So yes, absolutely, Peter Mandelson should should testify to Congress and anybody else who seeks to find the truth on this matter.”

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Reflecting on GB News’s interview with Siobhan White, mother of murdered asylum hotel worker Rhiannon Whyte, Sir Mel offered his condolences to the family and urged Labour to implement a “clear, robust plan” to tackle illegal migration.

The Shadow Chancellor said: “Can I firstly say my heart goes out to her, of course, and all Rhiannon’s friends and family. This was a terrible and very, very brutal murder. I think in terms of lessons, there will be many for the authorities to look at in terms of the details as to exactly why this occurred and whether this could have been picked up earlier.

“But it’s equally right that this terrible individual is now going to prison for a very long time, 29 years. But there’s a broader issue here.

“In no way is one saying that all illegal migrants are possibly going to end up in this kind of situation, but we have to recognise that this kind of incident and other incidents like it at all sorts of different levels happen because we have not controlled the level of illegal migration into our country.”

He continued: “And what the Government has got to do is to come forward with a clear, robust plan. And we’ve set one out where the deterrents for those coming over is strong, so that they know that if they come over here illegally, they will be picked up and returned and sent away from our shores promptly, without any delays. Until you reach that point, I’m afraid we’re not going to get on top of illegal migration.

“And as I say, I’m certainly not suggesting that all those that come here or anything like in that country at all. Absolutely not. But nonetheless, it is the case that the high levels of illegal migration are bringing their own problems with them.”

Lord Mandelson has said in a statement: “There are also multiple formatting errors in the documents and I would like JP Morgan to confirm on the record that they are certain these documents are authentic and that the individual cheques are also authentic.

“Until this fact-checking has been achieved I maintain my original position which is that I have no record and no recollection of ever receiving these sums and that these statements are false.”

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