More than half a dozen civil servants were aware of the Peter Mandelson vetting controversy before Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was finally informed, the Government has admitted. Seven individuals, along with an undisclosed number of security officials, learned about the red flags raised during background checks on the US Ambassador before the Prime Minister was notified.
Timeline of the Vetting Disclosure
The secret vetting file was first passed to Cat Little, Permanent Secretary to the Cabinet Office, in late March. She is responsible for gathering documents across Whitehall on the Mandelson scandal following a parliamentary vote for their publication under the Humble Address process. After learning of the file, she informed Dame Antonia Romeo, the country's top civil servant, and consulted Government lawyers on how to handle the sensitive information.
In a letter to the Foreign Affairs Committee, the Cabinet Office confirmed: "Between 25 March and 14 April, seven individuals (in addition to 'must know' security officials) were made aware of, through the compliance with the Humble Address process in the CO [Cabinet Office], the outcome of the vetting summary document."
Leak and Fallout
Just two days after Ms Little and Dame Antonia informed the Prime Minister about the UK Security Vetting file on Lord Mandelson, details were leaked to the Guardian. The Government has launched an investigation to identify the leaker. Sir Olly Robbins, the Foreign Office mandarin dismissed for failing to alert Sir Keir about the concerns, has demanded prosecutions for what he termed a "grievous breach of national security."
When questioned about potential penalties for leaking such sensitive information, the Cabinet Office stated: "Our legal advisers advise that the maximum penalty on conviction is two years' imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine."
Political Reactions
Shadow Cabinet Office minister Mike Wood criticised the Prime Minister, saying: "Either Keir Starmer lied about Mandelson's vetting, or he is totally incompetent. Or both. If we really believe the PM was the last to know the truth, what does that tell us about how he is viewed by leading civil servants?" He added: "Starmer has misled Parliament and the public, and tried to blame everyone but himself for this appalling scandal. His sordid decision to force his own MPs to block an inquiry will not save him from his inevitable fate at the hands of voters."
A Government spokesman declined to comment on ongoing leak investigations, stating: "We do not comment on live leak investigations."
