Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is set to address the House of Commons on Monday regarding the controversial appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador, following revelations that Mandelson failed a security vetting process. The statement comes amid mounting calls for Starmer's resignation over the affair.
On Tuesday, Olly Robbins, the former top civil servant at the Foreign Office who was sacked on Thursday, is expected to give his account of events. Starmer has sought to blame Robbins for the row, but Robbins will now present his side of the story.
The Guardian's disclosure that Mandelson was allowed to serve despite failing the vetting process has raised serious questions. Starmer must explain how the appointment proceeded and who was aware of the vetting outcome.
Key questions include whether Starmer personally authorised the appointment, what information he received about Mandelson's vetting, and why Robbins was dismissed. The next 48 hours are seen as crucial for Starmer's troubled premiership.
