Pound falls, impacted by new concerns in British leadership.

The pound fell as new concerns emerged about the leadership position of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer being challenged from outside. Starmer has come under close scrutiny after admitting to appointing Lord Peter Mandelson as the UK ambassador to the United States, despite knowing about the latter's continued association with Jeffrey Epstein. Chris Turner of Dutch multinational group ING said in a report, "The prospect of a change in Prime Minister and Chancellor remains one of the main threats facing the pound this year." Former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner may replace Starmer, which would "signal a clear leftward shift and add more concerns to the UK's financial situation." Data from the London Stock Exchange Group shows that the pound fell by 0.2% to $1.3621, having previously touched a two-week low of $1.3603. The euro rose by 0.2% against the pound to 0.8664.