Keir Starmer is preparing for what senior government figures are calling his “judgment day” as he faces a showdown with MPs on Monday over the latest revelations concerning Peter Mandelson. The prime minister was reportedly unaware of Mandelson’s vetting failure, sparking incredulity across Westminster and accusations that he sacked a senior civil servant to protect his premiership.
The controversy has once again highlighted what many see as Starmer’s biggest failing: his political judgment. While some initially hailed Mandelson’s appointment as UK ambassador to Washington as a stroke of genius, the risks were clear. Mandelson had been sacked from cabinet twice, had ties to convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and had business links with China. The Cabinet Office’s propriety and ethics team had raised red flags, warning of the reputational risk.
Allies say Starmer would have blocked the appointment had he known about the vetting failure. However, the prime minister now appears out of control, incurious about what is happening in his government. MPs are puzzled why Starmer or his aides never asked about Mandelson’s security vetting, and why the system failed to inform him until last week.
When Starmer was told on Tuesday night, he demanded officials establish the facts to update parliament. Yet he did not share the headline with MPs at PMQs last Wednesday, a breach of ministerial duty to correct the record promptly. Instead, MPs learned from the Guardian, with cabinet ministers finding out while travelling, adding to the sense of disarray.
Starmer promised to restore stability after years of Tory chaos, but the Mandelson saga has disappointed both MPs and the public. It raises questions about the prime minister’s character and his government’s competence. With Labour bracing for electoral losses in May and economic fallout from the Iran crisis, Starmer’s leadership is under scrutiny. MPs will watch closely when he appears before them on Monday, and again when sacked civil servant Oliver Robbins faces the foreign affairs committee on Tuesday.
