Keir Starmer has described as 'unforgivable' the fact that he was not informed that Peter Mandelson had failed security vetting before taking up the role of ambassador to Washington. The prime minister said he was 'furious' and insisted that no minister had been told about the security officials' recommendation to deny clearance.
Speaking publicly for the first time since the Guardian broke the story, Starmer stated: 'That I wasn't told that Peter Mandelson had failed security vetting when he was appointed is staggering. That I wasn't told that he had failed security vetting when I was telling parliament that due process had been followed is unforgivable.'
The prime minister's spokesperson squarely blamed the Foreign Office, saying Downing Street had 'repeatedly' asked for the facts but was not told about the vetting decision. When asked if this amounted to a cover-up, the spokesperson did not reject the term, stating: 'Well, the prime minister was not informed and he's made clear that it is staggering that he was not informed.'
Mandelson was appointed in late 2024 despite concerns over his relationship with convicted child trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. He was later sacked by Starmer after emails were published showing he had shared sensitive government information with Epstein while working for Gordon Brown. Mandelson denies any wrongdoing.
It remains unclear who authorised the granting of security clearance after officials recommended against it. Starmer sacked the most senior civil servant in the Foreign Office, Olly Robbins, on Thursday night. The prime minister is set to give a statement to MPs on Monday, and a former senior civil servant has suggested Robbins was made a scapegoat, noting that vetting is a 'risk assessment' rather than a simple pass or fail.
