Mandelson failed security vetting for ambassador role over links to figures in China, Russia and Israel
Sources have confirmed that Peter Mandelson failed his security clearance for the US ambassador post due to his connections to China, Russia and Israel.
Security services have said Labor’s disgraced counterpart should not be allowed into the senior position in Washington because of his relationships with Chinese finance minister Lan Fo’an, sanctions-hit Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska and former Israeli military intelligence general Tamir Hayman, the sources said. Independent. However, this decision was overruled by the State Department and he was appointed anyway.
Of particular concern was Lord Mandelson’s continued Russian business connections after Vladimir Putin’s illegal invasion of Crimea (the first act of aggression against Ukraine in 2014 before the full-scale invasion began in 2022).
Latest statements appearing for the first time GuardRising tensions have emerged over delays in the release of the latest set of documents surrounding Lord Mandelson’s appointment to the UK’s top diplomatic post, which MPs have ordered the government to release.
In January 2025, Independent Concerns about Lord Mandelson’s close business ties with China have led Donald Trump to consider rejecting his credentials as the UK’s ambassador to the US, it has emerged.
Then, in September last year, Independent announced that it failed its security review due to concerns about these links.
Meanwhile, the debate about the release of the Mandelson files is expected to continue next week. The Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) will meet to finalize materials it believes can be released without harming national security.
But the government is understood to have refused to back down on efforts to redact extra material that could be embarrassing for Sir Keir Starmer, who appointed Lord Mandelson.
Sources said the committee would insist that the government highlight the parts it had redacted without the committee’s permission, following concerns previously raised by the committee that it was not following agreed criteria.
“Conditions of humble speech in the parliament [which forced the publication] It only allows the ISC to decide what cannot be broadcast,” a source said.
“This means that if the government continues down this path it will violate the humble address.”
A second tranche of documents, which do not cover security issues, is expected to be published next week. The government postponed publication until after June 1 due to the size of the material involved.
When the issue of Lord Mandelson’s vetting failure resurfaced last month, Sir Keir claimed that he and Downing Street only became aware of the investigative failure that week.
However, opposition parties questioned whether Sir Keir had misled parliament on these issues after the correspondence between them was published. Independent and Downing Street showed they were contacted about the failed review seven months ago.
The row led Sir Keir to sack the then Foreign Office permanent secretary, Sir Olly Robbins, claiming he had withheld information about the security services’ concerns about Lord Mandelson.
The Prime Minister claimed it was “inexcusable” and “shocking” that the senior civil servant did not tell ministers about the agency’s findings.
Guard He also claimed that the UK Security Review (UKSV) suggested Lord Mandelson had a very close relationship with a fourth person, who was British, that could have been compromising.
He was removed from his post as ambassador in September last year after his close relationship with the late pedophile and American financier Jeffrey Epstein was further revealed.
But his ties to Epstein do not appear to have featured prominently in the vetting process.
