Sir Keir Starmer is under mounting pressure to resign after it emerged that Lord Mandelson was appointed as Britain's ambassador to the United States despite failing government security vetting. The Express understands that vetting officers had recommended against granting clearance, but Foreign Office officials overruled their advice.
Starmer had repeatedly insisted that due process had been followed and that Mandelson had been cleared by the security services. However, the revelation has led to accusations that the Prime Minister misled Parliament. On Thursday, Starmer sacked the Foreign Office's most senior civil servant, Sir Oliver Robbins, over the affair.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called on Starmer to step down, stating that either he knew Mandelson had failed vetting and lied, or he was hopelessly incompetent. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said the Prime Minister's failure to inform Parliament promptly was a breach of the ministerial code.
Reform UK, the Green Party, Plaid Cymru, and the SNP have all demanded Starmer's resignation or an investigation. SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn accused Starmer of being 'incompetent, gullible or a liar — or all three'. Downing Street released a statement insisting Starmer and former foreign secretary David Lammy had no knowledge of the vetting failure, placing blame on the Foreign Office.
