Nick Ferrari has launched a furious on-air attack over Starmer’s Mandelson row.
Nick Ferrari tore into Keir Starmer accusing him of “crocodile tears” (Image: LBC)
Nick Ferrari tore into Keir Starmer live on air, branding his defence over the Peter Mandelson row “utter nonsense” and accusing him of “crocodile tears”. The LBC host launched a blistering attack after Starmer admitted he “beats himself up” over appointing Peter Mandelson as US ambassador despite concerns about his links to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Nick said on LBC: “Don’t buy that interview. Utter nonsense when he said ‘I’ve spent years campaigning this…’ you’ve known for years since 2019 that Mandelson new Epstein.
“If it was so appalling, why would you ever consider the appointment of someone who was a friend with a convicted sex trafficker and friendly with Ghislaine Maxwell who is behind bars.” He went on, adding: “You knew for years don’t give us these crocodile tears now man. You’ve got it wrong and you’ve got caught. And ‘oh I beat myself up every day ‘ – if you beat yourself up for all your mistakes you’ll be black and blue I would suggest.”
His comments came after the Prime Minister attempted to contain the fallout by admitting he made a mistake in appointing Mandelson, following the release of Government documents warning of a “general reputational risk” tied to the peer’s association with Epstein.
Speaking to Sky News’ Electoral Dysfunction podcast, Starmer insisted he had already been his own harshest critic over the decision, saying: “Nobody has been harder on me in relation to the mistake I made there than me.”
He pointed to his long track record on tackling violence against women and girls, adding: “I’ve spent years trying to deal with violence against women and girls.” Looking back, he admitted he had been “really hard” on himself in the immediate aftermath, stressing: “I know I made a mistake.”
Starmer also made clear the weight of that error still sits with him, saying: “I hate the fact I made that mistake. And I dwell on it. I beat myself up about it.” He added it was not something he would repeat, insisting: “It’s certainly not a mistake I’d ever repeat,” and argued that no outside criticism could match his own.
Starmer admitted he “beats himself up” over appointing Peter Mandelson (Image: Getty)
“There’s no criticism anybody else can level at me that will be as harsh as the criticism I dished out for myself,” the PM shared.
Despite the admission, Ferrari accused Starmer of ignoring long-standing concerns, pointing out the timeline of Mandelson’s links to Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
The remarks sparked strong reaction online, with some listeners backing Ferrari’s stance. One wrote: “It’s just typical of today, if nothing else works, play the victim. It’s utterly pathetic from a leader of this country.”
Another added: “Bang on Nick! The whole country are not that stupid. Him saying that was an insult and proof of how much of a corrupt lying dictator this coward is”.
Review, gossip and upcoming show releases plus selected offers and competition Invalid email
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
Lord Mandelson, a political appointment rather than a career diplomat, was sacked from his Washington role in September last year over his links with Epstein, who died in 2019.
The first batch of documents related to the decision was published earlier this month following a demand for transparency by MPs.
