Sir Keir Starmer will face MPs in the House of Commons tomorrow over his handling of Peter Mandelson’s appointment as UK ambassador to Washington, despite his failure to pass security vetting.
The row has raised concerns about whether security advice was properly escalated and what the Prime Minister knew and when. The Foreign Office has been blamed for clearing the peer for the role.
Lord Mandelson was appointed as UK ambassador to the United States in January 2025 despite failing Developed Vetting clearance, the highest UK security clearance level required for access to top-secret material.
Security vetting for senior UK government appointments is carried out by UK Security Vetting (UKSV), with results passed to the relevant department and senior civil servants.
Once informed by UKSV, officials are responsible for escalating any adverse or sensitive findings to No 10, which should ensure the Prime Minister is briefed before a senior appointment is confirmed.
No 10 said on Friday there is evidence that Sir Keir only found out on Tuesday that Lord Mandelson had been cleared for his Washington role, against the advice of security officials.
Calls grow for Starmer’s resignation despite claims he was not informed of vetting failure
The Prime Minister has said he was “absolutely furious”, and described the failure to inform him as “staggering”. Calls for his resignation have intensified.
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy has defended Sir Keir and said he had been “shocked and surprised” when he first learned last week what had happened. But he insisted neither he nor his advisers at the time had known about, or asked for information on, the the vetting outcome. Sir Keir er and Yvette Cooper, the current Foreign Secretary, have also said they were unaware until this week.
In his interview with the Guardian, Lammy said: “I have absolutely no doubt at all, knowing the PM as I do, that had he known that Peter Mandelson had not passed the vetting, he would never, ever have appointed him ambassador.
Critics question whether due process was followed and argue he should take responsibility for failures in the appointment system.
Former foreign secretary Sir James Cleverly told The Independent it is “inconceivable” that the Prime Minister and David Lammy were unaware of Lord Mandelson’s failed security vetting.
The leaders of the major opposition parties have all called for Sir Keir to resign over the latest revelations, with Kemi Badenoch claiming the Prime Minister had misled Parliament and the public.
Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney said it was the Prime Minister’s “incompetence” that was “staggering”.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said that Sir Keir must publish the advice he received on Lord Mandelson’s appointment.
Vetting scandal deepens concerns about government double standards
The latest row raises questions over consistency in the UK security vetting system with one rule for government ministers and another for the general public applying for roles.
When members of the public and civil servants apply for roles, they must pass strict security checks even for relatively junior roles, while senior political appointments can still proceed despite adverse security advice.
Ministers stress that vetting is only one factor in political appointments, but opponents say the situation risks creating the perception of “two-tier” standards in how security clearance rules are applied.
Former British Ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson (Photo: Toby Melville/Reuters)Why was Mandelson considered for the role despite vetting concerns?
Supporters of Peter Mandelson point to his long experience at the top of British and European politics as key to his appeal for a senior diplomatic role.
A former cabinet minister and EU trade commissioner, he built extensive networks in Washington, Brussels and global business circles, giving him direct access to senior decision-makers. He was viewed as capable of managing a strong working relationship with a Trump administration.
He is also widely regarded as a skilled communicator and strategist, known for his polished manner and ability to navigate high-level political environments and is seen as persuasive and well-connected.
His experience and personal influence help explain why he was given the role, even though he failed the vetting process.
Sir Olly Robbins is expected to defend his role in Foreign Affairs Committee meeting on Tuesday
Sir Olly Robbins, who had only been in the role for weeks as Foreign Office permanent secretary at the time, was sacked on Thursday as he had lost the confidence of Sir Keir and Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper.
He is expected to speak to the Foreign Affairs Committee as early as next Tuesday, a day after Sir Keir updates the Commons on the latest twists in the saga.
The committee on Saturday published correspondence showing that Ms Cooper had asked the FCDO to conduct a “full review” of all the information the department had provided to the committee.
Lord Simon McDonald, permanent secretary at the Foreign Office from 2015-2020, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that Sir Olly was “thrown under the bus” and that Number 10 “wanted a scalp and they wanted it quickly”.
The Guardian reported on Friday that Antonia Romeo, the head of the civil service, and Cabinet Office permanent secretary Catherine Little, had found out before the Prime Minister about Lord Mandelson’s failure to gain vetting.
The readout of Tuesday’s meeting gave credence to this, as Ms Little had received information about the vetting as part of the process to release files related to Lord Mandelson’s appointment, which MPs voted for in February.
“On reviewing the file she had therefore learned that the recommendation from the vetting officer had been that DV (Developed Vetting) should not be granted to Peter Mandelson,” the readout said.
The Cabinet Office denied that this meant the senior civil servant had sat on the details, while a Government source said: “Cat has been the one doggedly fighting Olly Robbins to get the documents out of his clutches and into the public domain.
“This is a laughable attempt to shift blame from the actual person who kept the PM in the dark.”
Could this latest controversy force Sir Keir’s resignation?
Sir Keir was already under pressure over the appointment of Lord Mandelson, given longstanding concerns about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, who was convicted of child sex offences.
Mandelson was later sacked from his Washington role last September after further details emerged about the relationship, continuing to fuel political criticism of the Prime Minister’s judgment and handling of senior appointments.
Members of the public have expressed concern and anger over the handling of the Mandelson appointment, with some questioning whether the Prime Minister should take responsibility, but direct resignation calls have come primarily from opposition politicians.
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