Prime Minister Keir Starmer will deliver a high-stakes statement to MPs on Monday as he seeks to contain the fallout from the Peter Mandelson vetting scandal, which has raised questions about his leadership. The controversy centres on how Mandelson became UK ambassador to the US despite the Foreign Office overruling a decision to fail his security vetting.
The scandal, first reported by the Guardian, led to the sacking of Foreign Office top civil servant Olly Robbins, who is expected to appear before MPs on Tuesday. Ministers spent the weekend trying to shore up Starmer's position after opposition leaders called for him to resign, arguing he would not have proceeded with the appointment had he known the full details.
Senior government figures fear this week could be make-or-break for Starmer, despite his handling of the Iran crisis providing some support. One insider said: 'We just don't know how it will all play out, but all roads lead back to the original sin: Keir's decision to appoint Peter Mandelson to Washington even though everybody knew it was high risk.'
Starmer told the Daily Mirror he was 'furious' that he was not informed about the vetting failure, calling it 'unforgivable' that the Foreign Office failed to tell him after he had assured parliament due process was followed. Downing Street published a document arguing that no law prevented civil servants from flagging security vetting recommendations to ministers.
Robbins is reportedly taking legal advice after his dismissal and is determined to put his side of the story. Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy warned against internal party turmoil, saying voters wanted stability, not 'a self-flagellating, internally focused' governing party.
