JK Rowling publicly criticized Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer this week, accusing him of indifference toward harm against women and girls as pressure mounts over his handling of the Peter Mandelson appointment and related fallout.
Rowling, 60, posted the remarks on X after Starmer issued a delayed apology to victims of Jeffrey Epstein following controversy surrounding Mandelson’s appointment as the UK’s ambassador to the US. Mandelson’s past association with Epstein has been publicly known for years.
“Add Keir Starmer's newfound concern for victims of Peter Mandelson's bestie to his backflip on whether women can have penises and his U-turn on the Rotherham grooming gangs enquiry,” Rowling wrote, according to GB News. “Starmer is indifferent to harm done to girls and women unless it threatens his career.” She ended the post with the hashtag “#StarmerOut”.
Starmer faces the most serious leadership challenge of his premiership.
Mandelson was appointed to the Washington post in December 2024. In February 2026, Starmer issued a public apology to Epstein’s victims, drawing criticism from figures including Reform leader Nigel Farage, who described the move as politically motivated.
Over the past four years, he has also shifted from publicly stating it was “not right” to say only women have a cervix, to endorsing a biological definition of sex following legal and public pressure, including a Supreme Court ruling. Critics have labelled the change as a political reversal.
His handling of a national grooming gangs inquiry has similarly been criticized. Starmer initially resisted calls for a new investigation before announcing a full statutory inquiry in June 2025 following the Casey review.
The Mandelson controversy kicked off senior departures from within Downing Street, including chief of staff Morgan McSweeney and communications director Tim Allan. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has publicly urged Starmer to resign, while several MPs have described his position as increasingly unstable.
Rowling, 60, posted the remarks on X after Starmer issued a delayed apology to victims of Jeffrey Epstein following controversy surrounding Mandelson’s appointment as the UK’s ambassador to the US. Mandelson’s past association with Epstein has been publicly known for years.
“Add Keir Starmer's newfound concern for victims of Peter Mandelson's bestie to his backflip on whether women can have penises and his U-turn on the Rotherham grooming gangs enquiry,” Rowling wrote, according to GB News. “Starmer is indifferent to harm done to girls and women unless it threatens his career.” She ended the post with the hashtag “#StarmerOut”.
Starmer faces the most serious leadership challenge of his premiership.
Mandelson was appointed to the Washington post in December 2024. In February 2026, Starmer issued a public apology to Epstein’s victims, drawing criticism from figures including Reform leader Nigel Farage, who described the move as politically motivated.
Over the past four years, he has also shifted from publicly stating it was “not right” to say only women have a cervix, to endorsing a biological definition of sex following legal and public pressure, including a Supreme Court ruling. Critics have labelled the change as a political reversal.
His handling of a national grooming gangs inquiry has similarly been criticized. Starmer initially resisted calls for a new investigation before announcing a full statutory inquiry in June 2025 following the Casey review.
The Mandelson controversy kicked off senior departures from within Downing Street, including chief of staff Morgan McSweeney and communications director Tim Allan. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has publicly urged Starmer to resign, while several MPs have described his position as increasingly unstable.
