Kier Starmer has addressed the House of Commons over the security vetting process over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as American Ambassador
“I do not accept I could not have been told about UKSC denial of security vetting before Peter Mandelson took up his post in January 2025 he told the House
“I do not accept that the then Cabinet Secretary could not have been told in September 2025 when he carried out his review of the process and nor do I accept that the Foreign Secretary could not have been told when making a statement to the Select Committee, again in
September 2025.”
But, on top of that, the fact that I was also not told even when I ordered a review of the UKSV process is frankly staggering”
Sir Keir Starmer opened his statement with an admission
‘I should not have appointed Mandelson. I take responsibility for that decision. I apologise again to the victims of Epstein’
Starmer said that he found the failure of Sir Olly Robbins to inform him that Mandelson had not passed his vetting ‘staggering’
The decision he said to override vetting was not told “to me, the Foreign Secretary, any other minister, or even the cabinet secretary…I found this extraordinary”,
“This is information I should have had a long time ago…that I and the House had a right to know..”
‘This is information I should have had a long time ago. It is information this house should have had a long time ago. It is information that I and the House have a right to know’
He confirmed that the vetting of Mandelson didn’t begin until three days after his appointment as Washington ambassador was announced adding that this was commonplace at the time, but he changed the procedure after sacking Mandelson so that appointments can’t take place until after vetting has been completed.
Starmer said that he accepts that sensitive personal information provided by an individual being vetted should not be disclosed to ministers
But he adds he does not accept that ministers cannot be told of the recommendations of UK Security Vetting.
“I simply do not accept that foreign office officials could not have told me of UKSV’s recommendations”
Chris Wormald, the former Cabinet Secretary, was not told about the UKSV recommendation during an internal investigation The Prime Minister said
‘The evidence I have reviewed leads me to conclude that appropriate processes were followed both the appointment and the withdrawal of HMA Washington
Wormald was asked again last week: ‘He was clear that when he carried out his review, the foreign office did not tell him about the UKSV recommendation’
in her reply to the statement Kemi Badenoch said:
“It is finally time for the truth. Says the PM has not said he has misled the House and he has a duty to correct the record, and that he should have corrected the record last week, and that is in breach of the ministerial code.”
