SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn has called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to resign over the controversy surrounding Peter Mandelson's appointment as UK ambassador to the US. Flynn said the resignation of top civil servant Olly Robbins does not let Starmer off the hook and that the prime minister has run out of excuses.
Flynn stated: 'The resignation of Olly Robbins does not get the prime minister off the hook – it only raises more questions. Keir Starmer has run out of excuses, and fall guys, to blame for his own bad judgment and incompetence. He should do the decent thing and resign – before he is forced out.'
The calls come after it emerged that Mandelson initially failed security vetting but the Foreign Office overruled the decision. Starmer has said it was 'unforgivable' that he was not informed. However, veteran Labour MP Diane Abbott said 'nobody believes that the prime minister' was unaware, adding that misleading the House requires stepping down.
Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth called for transparency, while Reform UK leader Nigel Farage accused Starmer of misleading Parliament and called for his resignation. Not all Labour MPs agree; Patrick Hurley dismissed the row as 'a big fuss over nothing', arguing the public is more concerned about the economy and other issues.
