Starmer unlikely to meet Epstein survivors says Labour MP
Labour MP Alex Davies-Jones stated that Prime Minister Keir Starmer is unlikely to meet survivors of Jeffrey Epstein despite having promised to do so.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Labour MP Alex Davies-Jones has said that Prime Minister Keir Starmer is unlikely to meet survivors of Jeffrey Epstein before he leaves office, despite promising to do so in Prime Minister's Questions last week. Davies-Jones, who resigned as Victims Minister in May, told Newsnight that Number 10 had informed her the Prime Minister's diary could not accommodate a meeting. She argued that since Downing Street had hosted Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell under Tony Blair, it should now host the survivors.
One survivor, Lisa, expressed frustration, saying Starmer had looked at her in the House and said he would meet, but now claims to be too busy. Number 10 responded by saying the Prime Minister's thoughts are with the victims, that he has written to Lisa praising her bravery, and that the government is committed to delivering accountability and justice. The exchange highlights a growing tension between the government's stated support for Epstein victims and its willingness to meet them directly.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC Two |
|---|---|
| Starmer's promise to meet Epstein survivors is unlikely to be fulfilled before he leaves office, with Number 10 instead writing to a survivor. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The channel focused on the apparent broken promise by Starmer, giving significant airtime to the MP's criticism and a survivor's emotional reaction. The tone was sympathetic to the survivors and critical of Number 10's handling, though it did include the government's response. The story was framed as a contrast between the building hosting Epstein and now refusing to host his victims.
- “Labour MP and former Victims Minister Alex Davis-Jones, who resigned from the government back in May, said Number 10 had told her that Sakeer Starmer is very unlikely to meet Epstein's survivors before he leaves office, despite in PMQ's last week saying that he would.”
- “Number 10 Downing Street was good enough to host Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell with Prime Ministers at the time, now granted it was Tony Blair, it wasn't Keir Starmer, but that building and the Prime Minister of our country was good enough to host them. It is good enough for the survivors of their abuse and trafficking to sit in that building and meet with the Prime Minister of our country.”
- “the Prime Minister's thoughts are firmly with the victims of Jeffrey Epstein who've lived with unimaginable trauma. He has personally written to Lisa praising her incredible bravery and thanking her for her determination to give a voice to others.”
Broadcast Timeline
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