PM forced to back 'embarrassment' Andrew

The prince has come under pressure because of his links with the billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

The American financier was sentenced to 18 months in prison in 2008 for soliciting a minor for prostitution.

But the Duke of York has also faced criticism for entertaining the son-in-law of ousted Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali at Buckingham Palace, as well as over his links with Libyan leader Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi's son.

But the support yesterday from both the Prime Minister and Conservative Chancellor George Osborne came after the Liberal Democrat Business Secretary, Vince Cable, said that "conversations" would need to take place on Prince Andrew's role as a trade envoy.

In the morning, Downing Street refused to comment on the prince's future, leading to further speculation that his role was to be curtailed.

Within a few hours of that briefing, Mr Cameron gave Prince Andrew his full backing and said he remained Britain's special envoy.

A Downing Street spokesman said: "We are not reviewing that role in any way. The government's position is very clear: that we support him in his role as trade envoy.

"He has made a very important contribution to UK trade through the role and continues to do so."

At a Cabinet away day in Derby, Mr Osborne added: "We have confidence in him doing the job, and we think he's done a good job in recent years.

"He's promoted British exports. What we want is everyone promoting British exports at the minute, and Prince Andrew has done that."

However, matters were made worse when supportive quotes from prominent businessmen were published.

It emerged that, despite a government ring-round looking for support on the back of a request from Buckingham Palace, most of the quotes were old.

The first of the 17 endorsements was from Neil Reynolds, the managing director of Biwater Europe, who praised the prince for his work in Libya.

Meanwhile, Prince Andrew's former wife, Sarah Ferguson, who recently was caught in a tabloid newspaper sting accepting money for access to the prince, apologised for her links to Mr Epstein. She claimed to have known nothing about his background and vowed to repay the 15,000 he advanced to settle a debt to her former personal assistant, Johnny O'Sullivan.

"I am just so contrite I cannot say," the Duchess of York said."Whenever I can I will repay the money and will have nothing ever to do with Jeffrey Epstein ever again."

There was only lukewarm support from the Labour leader, Ed Miliband, for the prince, while some Labour MPs called for him to be removed as a trade envoy.

Former Labour minister Chris Bryant said the prince was now "an embarrassment".

He said: "I think we should be dispensing with his services. I think the charge list now against him is so long that he is a bit of an embarrassment."

Senior Labour back-bencher Mike Gapes, a member and former chairman of the Commons foreign affairs committee, went further, saying Andrew's position was "untenable".

But Mr Miliband, on a visit to Parliament Buildings at Stormont in Northern Ireland, said: "I worked with Prince Andrew when I was in government and I saw him doing an important job in promoting British trade and industry."

The Labour leader went on: "I say now, though, that these are obviously a matter for the current government, and it would be for them to decide the best way forward."

ROYAL DUTY

PRINCE Andrew's role as British trade envoy is not actually a government appointment, but part of his Royal duties.

He regularly jets around the world and his main duties are to meet leading business figures and influential people linked to foreign governments, to help open up trade opportunities for Britain in target markets.

He takes part in formal trade delegations and hosts events. The idea is that the presence of a Royal helps to woo foreign investors and trading partners.

The long list of endorsements published yesterday from top businessmen showed many of them feel his presence has helped open up difficult markets, not least Libya.