Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called on Labour MPs to “stick together and fight together” as his government faces twin crises: a standards investigation into his appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador, and potentially damaging testimony from former chief of staff Morgan McSweeney. The prime minister’s allies, including Attorney General Richard Hermer and Foreign Office minister Jenny Chapman, have been rallying support ahead of a critical Commons vote on Tuesday.
The vote concerns a Conservative motion to refer Starmer to parliament’s privileges committee over the Mandelson affair. Senior Labour figures, including former prime minister Gordon Brown and ex-cabinet ministers Alan Johnson and David Blunkett, have urged restraint, dismissing the motion as a political stunt designed to destabilise the party before local elections in May. Labour MPs are expected to be whipped to vote against the motion, with most accepting that rebellion would hand a victory to the opposition.
Starmer also faces scrutiny from the Foreign Affairs Committee inquiry into Mandelson’s appointment, where McSweeney will testify. McSweeney, who left government over the row, has said he takes “full responsibility” for advising Starmer to appoint Mandelson. He is expected to face questions about whether due process was followed, including whether he pressured the Foreign Office. Former Foreign Office permanent secretary Philip Barton will also give evidence, and may be asked whether McSweeney told him to “just fucking approve” the appointment.
In a further development, a letter from security director Ian Collard revealed he had not seen the document recommending denial of security clearance for Mandelson. Instead, he received an oral briefing describing the case as “borderline” and manageable through “robust risk management”. Collard admitted feeling pressure to deliver a “rapid outcome” but said it did not affect his final judgment.
Addressing Labour MPs, Starmer said: “I have responsibility for being totally transparent with you, with parliament and the British public. But this is not about a lack of transparency. This is a political stunt by our opponents who want to bring us down.” Downing Street released a letter from former cabinet secretary Chris Wormald stating that “appropriate processes were followed” during Mandelson’s appointment. The Tories have questioned Starmer’s claim that there was “no pressure whatsoever” on the Foreign Office, citing conflicting accounts from former officials.
