Morgan McSweeney has denied claims that he bullied civil servants into appointing Lord Peter Mandelson as US ambassador. The former chief of staff to Sir Keir Starmer, widely regarded as a protege of Lord Mandelson, resigned in February over his role in the peer securing the coveted diplomatic post.
McSweeney's Denial
Ahead of his appearance at the Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday, the political strategist reportedly told a security forum in Kyiv: "I find it strange reading about a character with the same name as mine sometimes. I don't recognise that character," as first reported by The Times.
Allegations of Pressure
The denial comes after former Foreign Office chief Sir Olly Robbins said there was an "atmosphere of pressure" and "constant chasing" from within the private office regarding Lord Mandelson's vetting process. Downing Street has already rejected claims that civil servants were bullied or cajoled by Mr McSweeney.
The Prime Minister's official spokesman stated earlier this week: "There is a distinction clearly between asking reasonably for updates on an appointment process … I would draw a distinction between the idea of pressure and, you know, being kept informed about the process and the progress of the appointment."
McSweeney's Resignation and Call for Reform
In his exit statement, Mr McSweeney took "full responsibility" for advising Sir Keir, which resulted in the "wrong" appointment decision. He also called for an overhaul of the vetting procedures to prevent similar issues in the future.
Prime Minister's Response
When asked whether he had considered resigning during a visit to Newcastle on Thursday, Sir Keir Starmer said: "Last week, my political opponents were saying that there's no way a civil servant wouldn't have told me about the outcome of a developed vetting security exercise. Turns out my political opponents were completely wrong about that. Then they said that I was dishonest. It turns out they were completely wrong about that. They are now putting any allegation they can and I will tell you for why – they are opposed politically to what this Government is trying to achieve."
