The prime minister says he is sorry to Jeffrey Epstein’s victims and “sorry for having believed Mandelson’s lies”, as he gives a speech in East Sussex – watch him live at the top of the page

Starmer was scheduled to speak about the “Pride in Place” strategy – but began his speech by addressing the Lord Mandelson scandal

No-one knew the “depth and darkness” of Mandeslon’s relationship with Epstein, the prime minister says

And he again accuses Mandelson of lying during the vetting process when he was appointed as US ambassador in 2024

This feels like a prime minister scrapping for his future, his back against the wall, writes political editor Chris Mason

On Wednesday, Starmer told Parliament he was aware of Mandelson’s “ongoing” friendship with Epstein, a convicted paedophile who died in 2019, when he appointed him

Mandelson has not responded to requests for comment – the BBC understands his position is that he has not acted in any way criminally and that he was not motivated by financial gain