Mandelson vetting storm: Why UK PM Starmer is under fire — can he be ousted?
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Friday he was “furious” that he was not told former Labour minister Peter Mandelson had failed his security vetting before becoming the UK’s ambassador to the United States, as opposition leaders called for his resignation.It has since emerged that two of Starmer’s top aides knew about the vetting failure weeks before the prime minister was informed.
The Guardian reported that Cat Little, the Cabinet Office’s Permanent Secretary, was handed a damning security document at the end of March. She told Cabinet Secretary Dame Antonia Romeo, and the pair discussed the potential risks of sharing the information. Up to a dozen officials and lawyers were reportedly aware of the vetting failure before Starmer was finally approached on Tuesday.The Guardian reported Thursday that Mandelson was initially denied clearance in early 2025 after undergoing a highly confidential background check. The Foreign Office moved to overrule the decision of security officials, paving the way for Mandelson to begin the role in February of that year.Starmer has said he was “absolutely furious” that the Foreign Office had not told him it had overruled security officials. He sacked the department’s top civil servant, Sir Olly Robbins, on Thursday.
‘Unforgivable’: Starmer hits back
“That I wasn’t told that he had failed security vetting when I was telling parliament that due process had been followed is unforgivable,” Starmer told The Guardian. “Not only was I not told, no minister was told, and I’m absolutely furious about that.”Downing Street issued a similar statement Thursday, saying: “Neither the Prime Minister, nor any Government Minister, was aware that Peter Mandelson was granted Developed Vetting against the advice of UK Security Vetting until earlier this week.”
Opposition reacts
Liberal Democrat MP Lisa Smart has reported Starmer to his ethics adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus, for a potential breach of the ministerial code.“The Prime Minister failed to tell Parliament that he knew Mandelson had been denied vetting on Wednesday, presumably crossing his fingers and hoping the truth would not come out,” Smart said.Senior Tory MP Neil O’Brien added: “The Ministerial Code could not be clearer on this. The Prime Minister, having misled the House, is supposed to correct the record as soon as he possibly can. He was caught, he didn’t admit it.”Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said Starmer should resign if he misled Parliament about Mandelson’s vetting, writing on X that the prime minister had “betrayed our national security.”Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey also called on Starmer to step down if he “lied to the British people” and Parliament.“We already know he showed catastrophic political misjudgment in appointing Mandelson to be the UK’s ambassador to America,” Davey said in a video on X. “He was relying on the vetting process as his defense. It looks like the vetting process was ignored. This is hugely serious, and I think he will probably have to go.”
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Why Mandelson failed vetting
Mandelson, 72, was appointed ambassador to the United States in February 2025 but resigned in September after his ties to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein drew scrutiny.Security concerns also included his links to China — he co-founded Global Counsel, whose clients included Chinese firms Shein and TikTok — and his connections to Russia, including his role as a non-executive director at Sistema, a shareholder in a defence company that produces technology for Russia’s missile early-warning system.Mandelson was fired as UK ambassador last September amid scrutiny over his alleged ties to Epstein, as documents released by the US Justice Department showed he maintained a supportive relationship with the disgraced financier even after he was jailed for sex offenses.The former diplomat has denied any wrongdoing but resigned from his seat in Parliament in early February to avoid causing “further embarrassment.” He was arrested later that month on suspicion of misconduct charges.Starmer apologized to Epstein’s victims in early February for the appointment and for having believed Mandelson’s “lies.”
What happens next
Starmer is set to address Parliament on Monday to clarify his position. Sir Olly Robbins will testify before a parliamentary panel on Tuesday.No sitting Labour prime minister has ever been removed by their own MPs in the party’s 125-year history. Labour Party rules require rebels to back a specific rival candidate rather than simply voting “no confidence.”
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