Bombshell that could spell the end: Starmer is on the brink as his ‘lies’ are exposed as No10 admits Mandy failed security vetting… and PM pleads ignorance

Keir Starmer faces growing calls to resign after it was revealed on Thursday night that Peter Mandelson had been appointed US ambassador despite a failed security clearance.

Foreign Office officials delayed this controversial appointment despite it being revealed and the Prime Minister faced the hugely damaging allegation that he had lied to Parliament.

Sir Keir has insisted on numerous occasions that his disgraced Labor counterpart is suitably qualified to take on Britain’s most important diplomatic post.

While he was told by opposition leaders on Thursday night that he must stand down if he was found to have misled MPs about the scandal, even some of his hardliners conceded his position was untenable.

In a last-ditch attempt by Sir Keir to hold on, Downing Street claimed the Foreign Office had acted alone in granting Mandelson the enhanced review (DV) status he needed to take up his post in Washington, against the advice of homeland security experts.

An investigation into what went wrong was launched by Number 10. Insiders predicted that Sir Olly Robbins, the Foreign Office’s most senior civil servant, would be declared guilty and dismissed.

Sir Keir, his ministers and No 10 officials allegedly knew nothing about the extraordinary decision to overrule security concerns until it was revealed as part of a review of files on the scandal to be published earlier this week.

But Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said: ‘The Prime Minister appointed Peter Mandelson before the review was completed; Mandelson’s examination was unsuccessful.

Peter Mandelson removed as US ambassador over his connection to convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein

‘Starmer later told me that all due process had been followed. This is misleading Parliament, this is a crime of resignation.’

He continued: ‘If Starmer was told on Tuesday night why didn’t he take the first opportunity to inform Parliament at noon on Wednesday?

‘I just hold him to the same standards as previous prime ministers; If they mislead Parliament they should resign.

‘In these dangerous times, Britain cannot afford to have a Prime Minister the country does not trust. Starmer betrayed our national security. He must go.’

Reform leader Nigel Farage said: ‘Keir Starmer said in February the security services had given Mandelson ‘clearance for the role’. ‘We now understand that he blatantly lied, the Prime Minister should resign.’

Sir Ed Davey of the Liberal Democrats added: ‘Keir Starmer had already made a catastrophic error of judgement. Now it looks as if he also misled Parliament and lied to the British public. If that’s the case, he should go.’

SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn reported Sir Keir to the ministerial sleaze watchdog and said: ‘These new revelations are the most serious yet for the Prime Minister. ‘It is vital we find out when Starmer learned that Mandelson’s leave had been refused and what role he played in overruling that decision.’

Senior Labor MP Graham Stringer told the Daily Mail: ‘If he lied to the House of Commons he needs to go now.’

A Conservative source said: ‘Does Downing Street seriously want us to believe that Olly Robbins, the most eligible civil servant, decided not to tell No 10 or any minister that Mandelson had failed to vet until this week?’

His Conservative peer Lord Kempsell added: ‘As someone who worked in No 10, I find it utterly unreasonable that the Prime Minister did not bat an eyelid at Mandelson’s failure in his DV. Did he lie about this from day one?’

Since Mandelson was sacked as US ambassador over his links to pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, Sir Keir has repeatedly stressed that officials followed correct procedures but were misled by New Labour’s ambassador.

As recently as February, on the day the House of Commons passed a motion calling on the Government to release all documents relating to the case, the Prime Minister said: ‘Due diligence was carried out and a subsequent vetting was carried out by the security services.’

Thursday’s dramatic development revealed that Mandelson had in fact failed his clearance in an exercise carried out by UK Vetting officials in January 2025, weeks after Sir Keir announced he would take on the role.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage says Keir Starmer ‘blatantly lied’ about Mandelson and PM should resign

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said Starmer “must go” if he “misled Parliament and lied to the British public”.

It is not known why the agency, which received top-secret guidance from the security services, raised the red flag. These concerns were later secretly dismissed by the State Department, and Mandelson was granted the DV status he needed to take office the following month.

A government spokesman said: ‘Peter Mandelson’s vetting process was supported by the Foreign Office.

The decision to grant enhanced review to Peter Mandelson, against the recommendation of the ‘UK Security Review’, was taken by Foreign Office officials.

‘Until earlier this week neither the Prime Minister nor any government minister was aware that Peter Mandelson had been granted enhanced scrutiny against the recommendation of the UK Security Review.

‘Once informed, the Prime Minister immediately instructed officials to establish the facts as to why the enhanced review had been granted.’

An official investigation will now be launched into what went wrong, and Foreign Office Permanent Under-Secretary Sir Olly is expected to take the blame.

He will also be grilled by MPs on the foreign affairs committee, whose chair, Dame Emily Thornberry, said: ‘My committee has asked on a number of occasions whether red flags had been raised during the Peter Mandelson review process. It seems there is.’

He added: ‘People need to stop picking on us and tell us the truth.’