Sir Keir Starmer could face a Parliamentary sleaze inquiry into claims he lied to MPs over the Peter Mandelson scandal. The Commons will vote on Tuesday whether to refer the Prime Minister to the Privileges Committee to consider if he misled the House over the way Lord Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to the US was handled.
Background of the Controversy
Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle allowed a vote on the issue following requests from Tory leader Kemi Badenoch and other senior MPs. Cabinet minister Emma Reynolds accused the Tories of playing “silly political games” over the issue. But the Speaker’s decision now gives the Labour leadership a headache in deciding whether to order Sir Keir’s MPs to publicly oppose a referral to the committee.
Previous Precedent: Boris Johnson
The committee was responsible for Boris Johnson’s exit from frontline politics after it investigated him for misleading the House over the “partygate” breaches of Covid-19 laws in Downing Street. He quit as an MP in 2023 before the committee published a report recommending his suspension.
Tory Leader’s Call
Tory leader Mrs Badenoch called for Labour MPs to back the referral to the Privileges Committee. She said: “The Prime Minister misled the House of Commons repeatedly. He appointed a national security risk and friend of a convicted paedophile to be our ambassador in Washington, our most sensitive diplomatic post. He pretended that full due process was followed for this appointment. It was not. He has blamed the appointment on officials when the blame can only be placed at his own door.”
Allegations of Misleading Parliament
The Prime Minister has been accused of misleading MPs by saying that “full due process” was followed in appointing Lord Mandelson, who was given developed vetting status despite failing security checks. The Foreign Office, under then top civil servant Sir Olly Robbins, cleared him despite red flags raised by experts at the UK Security Vetting agency responsible for the checks.
Sir Keir has also faced questions for telling MPs that “no pressure existed whatsoever in relation to this case”. Sir Olly told MPs “my office and the Foreign Secretary’s office were under constant pressure” about the appointment in January 2025, after it had been announced but before the security checks were completed.
Prime Minister’s Defence
Sir Keir told The Sunday Times he was not talking about the “everyday pressure of government” but the suggestion of specific pressure on Sir Olly to grant Lord Mandelson’s developed vetting status. “(Sir Olly) was really clear in his mind that wasn’t pressure that was put on him. And he also goes on to say that none of this impacted his decision,” Sir Keir said.
