Sir Keir gave public backing to Lord Mandelson in the Commons on Wednesday only to sack him the following day. Emails reported by Bloomberg showed supportive messages Lord Mandelson sent to Epstein in 2008 following his guilty plea. The leaked emails included passages in which Lord Mandelson told Epstein to "fight for early release" shortly before he was sentenced to 18 months in prison. Speaking to reporters, Sir Keir said the messages showed Lord Mandelson "was not only questioning but wanting to challenge the conviction of Epstein at the time". The Foreign Affairs Committee, chaired by Labour MP Dame Emily Thornberry, has demanded the government give evidence on how Lord Mandelson was cleared and appointed.