Could a sex and secrets scandal bring down another PM?

Is the Mandelson-Epstein crisis Sir Keir Starmer's Profumo scandal? Both involved sex, call girls, lurid revelations and a police investigation.

Tap here for the latest on the Epstein files The Profumo scandal brought down Tory prime minister Harold Macmillan in the early 1960s. Secretary of state for war John Profumo had an affair with call girl Christine Keeler, who was also involved with a Soviet naval attache.

Profumo lied to parliament about his affair, Macmillan's handling of the crisis was seen as hopeless - and he failed to confront Profumo about the affair. Months later, Macmillan was gone.

Could it happen again? Now, after an excruciating Prime Minister's Questions, followed by a chaotic Commons showdown on Mandelson, senior MPs are predicting the current scandal will bring down Starmer. 'It's absolutely inevitable' "The Profumo affair brought down Harold Macmillan," SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn told Sky News.

"This will bring down Keir Starmer. "It's absolutely inevitable.

Today he chose to be clear, and revealed to the nation what he knew and when. And in doing so he showed a clear lack of judgement, which has broken trust with the people of these isles.

"That's unforgivable for a prime minister, and it's ultimately going to lead to his departure from No 10." But Flynn isn't alone with his astonishing prediction. His ally Liz Saville-Roberts, Plaid Cymru's Westminster leader, told Sky News: "A number of people are comparing this to the Profumo scandal.

"And, of course, these scandals start slowly and then they speed up. We're seeing it speed up now." Read more:What is misconduct in a public office?Mandelson had no alternative but to resignEpstein files: Key findings so far That's the view from the prime minister's opponents, of course.

And it must be said that the Commons debate on a Tory demand for the release of a Mandelson "paper trail" ended with the government's last-minute compromise being approved "on the nod.