“The emails show … 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.

Sir Keir Starmer explicitly asked Lord Mandelson about his links to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein before deciding to appoint him as the UK's ambassador to the US, the BBC understands.

Sir Keir Starmer, who picked the Labour grandee to be the UK’s representative in Washington, made the decision after emails showed the peer sent supportive messages even as Epstein faced jail for sex...