Keir Starmer has told Parliament that officials made a “deliberate decision” not to inform him that Peter Mandelson had failed security vetting for a senior diplomatic role, escalating a major political scandal in Westminster.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Starmer rejected claims that Downing Street overrode national security concerns to secure Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador, insisting he would not have approved the move had he been aware of the vetting outcome.
The controversy centres on revelations that vetting officials recommended against Mandelson receiving clearance, a decision later overruled by the UK Foreign Office. The disclosure has triggered accusations of a breakdown in government transparency and accountability.
Starmer also confirmed he effectively dismissed senior civil servant Olly Robbins after concluding he was not informed of the recommendation against clearance. Robbins is expected to face questioning from MPs as part of an ongoing parliamentary inquiry.
Opposition leaders, including Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch, have accused the prime minister of breaching the ministerial code and called for his resignation, arguing the handling of the vetting process has undermined public trust.
Other MPs pressed Starmer on whether Parliament would have been informed if the issue had not been exposed by the media. The prime minister said he only became aware of the failed recommendation after press reports surfaced, adding that the decision to withhold it from him was “wrong.”
The row has widened into a broader political crisis, with all major opposition parties demanding accountability over how security clearance decisions were handled and communicated within government.
Starmer maintains that the key issue is not political interference but a failure in the flow of critical information, insisting that the truth of the vetting process must now be fully established.