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Labour's handling of the Mandelson scandal, involving his links to Jeffrey Epstein, has triggered a blame game within the party. Downing Street's delayed response and initial defense of Mandelson, following similar handling of another colleague's scandal, damaged the prime minister's authority and disrupted Labour's planned autumn reset. Revelations about Mandelson's undisclosed communications with Epstein, despite vetting processes, led to his dismissal. The controversy overshadowed a planned state visit by President Trump and raises questions about the effectiveness of Downing Street's vetting procedures and the role of the prime minister's chief of staff.

Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.