Prime Minister Keir Starmer faced jeers in the Commons as he defended his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as US ambassador, following revelations that Mandelson failed a security vetting interview. Starmer said it 'beggars belief' that he was not informed about the vetting failure by Foreign Office officials, who overruled the initial refusal without telling senior ministers.
Starmer ordered an investigation into security concerns relating to Mandelson's tenure, telling MPs: 'Throughout the whole timeline of events, officials in the Foreign Office saw fit to withhold this information from the most senior ministers. That is not how the vast majority of people in this country expect politics, government or accountability to work.' He also stripped the Foreign Office of its power to overrule vetting decisions.
Conservative shadow Lords leader Lord True accused Starmer of appointing Mandelson through 'the VIP Lane', referencing the high-priority route for PPE procurement during the pandemic. True said: 'You didn't need vetting to see Mandelson as a proven liar. You didn't need vetting to see he was twice forced to resign in disgrace from government.'
Despite the criticism, Labour MPs did not turn on Starmer, and no confidence motion was tabled. However, the controversy adds to growing unease among Labour MPs about his leadership ahead of the next election.
