Two former senior officials are set to be questioned by MPs on Tuesday in a deepening crisis over the vetting of Peter Mandelson for the role of US ambassador, a scandal that threatens to bring down Prime Minister Keir Starmer's premiership.
Morgan McSweeney, Starmer's former chief of staff, and Philip Barton, ex-top official at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), have been called before the foreign affairs committee. The hearing follows revelations by the Guardian that Mandelson was granted security clearance despite vetting officials recommending it be denied.
The prime minister will later face a crucial vote on a parliamentary inquiry into whether he misled MPs when he claimed that “full due process” had been followed. Last Monday, Starmer told the Commons that he and other ministers were not informed that Mandelson had failed the “developed vetting” process by the United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV). He blamed Olly Robbins, who succeeded Barton as the top civil servant at the FCDO in January 2025.
After the Guardian's report, Starmer sacked Robbins, who gave his account of events last Tuesday. The testimonies of McSweeney and Barton are expected to shed further light on the pressure, process, and access involved in the vetting decision.
