Sir Keir Starmer knew of the risks that Peter Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein could pose, yet proceeded with the peer’s appointment as US ambassador, the former top civil servant at the Foreign Office has said.
Barton's Testimony
Sir Philip Barton, who served as permanent under-secretary at the Foreign Office until January 2025, told the Commons’ Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC) that there was no substance to allegations that the Prime Minister’s former chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, had sworn at him. However, he confirmed that Downing Street was “uninterested” in the developed vetting (DV) process and wanted it completed before Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Sir Philip described Epstein as a “toxic, hot potato” and stated that Sir Keir was aware of the potential fallout from Mandelson’s association with the disgraced financier.
No Dismissive Attitude
Sir Philip refuted claims that there was a “dismissive” attitude towards obtaining high-level security clearance for Lord Mandelson. He emphasised that the normal procedure for ambassadorial appointments requires vetting to be finalised before any public announcement, contradicting the government’s assertions.
The former mandarin gave evidence ahead of a critical day for the Prime Minister in Parliament, where Labour backbenchers were urged to “stand together” against a motion to refer Sir Keir to the Privileges Committee over allegations he misled the Commons regarding the handling of Mandelson’s appointment.
Sir Philip also noted that the “normal order” for such appointments was not followed, as the announcement was made before security clearance was granted.
