Minister defends Starmer amid Mandelson revelations, saying vetting decision ‘utterly unacceptable’ – UK politics live | Politics
Mandelson’s review decision ‘completely unacceptable’ – PM’s chief secretary
While the prime minister is in Paris for talks on opening the Strait of Hormuz, the prime minister’s principal secretary, Darren Jones, objects to Mandelson’s scrutiny of his statements during morning media rounds.
Jones told broadcasters that the State Department’s decision to overrule the security investigation findings was “completely unacceptable”.
He said he ordered an urgent review after discovering that the Foreign Office and other government departments had the right to ignore security advice when appointing people to sensitive roles.
He told Sky News:
This is completely unacceptable, not only in terms of the individual case of Peter Mandelson and all due respect to the Prime Minister’s anger at the Foreign Office for not teaching him this information, but also in terms of the fact that the processes were in place to allow this to happen in the first place.
That is why, in line with my duties in the Cabinet, last night I immediately suspended the rights of these organizations to make these decisions.
I have called for an urgent review of decisions these organizations have taken in the past to overrule the recommendations of the UK safeguards investigation and would still announce a wider, independent review of the review process. And this will now be part of it.
Earlier on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Jones said the Foreign Office had suspended their right to override vetting recommendations. He said:
As soon as I learned last night that the State Department and a small number of other organizations had the right to ignore this recommendation… I immediately suspended those rights and requested an immediate audit.
important events
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch told BBC Radio 4’s Today program that he believed the prime minister had lied in his account of what happened.
It is complete nonsense that we should believe what the Prime Minister says about the direction of the house. [of Commons] The entire legal process was followed, which the authorities would not tell him, knowing that this was not the case. He knew.
It is implausible for us to believe that no one told him at a press conference on February 5 that Mandelson had been cleared by the security services that this was not the case.
Complete nonsense, the prime minister, the former attorney general, did not ask basic questions, did not personally look at the vetting.
It is also completely absurd for civil servants to exonerate a political figure who failed a security clearance. Mandelson was not a mandarin, he was a Labor ambassador appointed as our most senior diplomat and ambassador.
Badenoch added that it was not credible that the documents were not seen by parliament
We wouldn’t have learned this without the Guardian.
The story doesn’t add up, the prime minister is making fools of us.
Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey is also among the voices calling for the Prime Minister to leave.
He said that even if the Prime Minister’s statement that he was unaware of the Foreign Office’s decision to overrule Mandelson’s botched investigation until this week was “true”, he should still resign.
Davey also warned that if the Prime Minister did not leave voluntarily his party would “take action” in parliament to remove him.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Davey said:
I don’t think the Prime Minister can absolve himself of his responsibility by sacking Olly Robbins; This should be left to Mr Starmer.
Frankly, I think it is inconceivable that on such a sensitive issue the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would not consult ministers on this matter.
This is also a matter of national security; in fact, the State Department found that top secret information should not be given to the prime minister.
Davey said he believed the prime minister’s claim that he was not aware of the Foreign Office’s move until this week was “not credible”.
Let’s say they are telling the truth and they only found out on Tuesday, what does that say about the Government and how it works?
This means that those around the prime minister kept critical information from him and that he made this decision without consulting with Mandelson, unaware of his failed security but knowing Mandelson’s reputation.
I think the evidence shows that he has misled the public and has misled the public against all the rules and that is why we have called for him to go and if he does not go I think we will have to take some action in parliament.
Davey likened the scenario to former Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s final days in office.
It’s hard to believe this was unintentional, it undermines credibility, but even if this is a true story it shows complete negligence and incompetence at the top of his government…
The Prime Minister held the Conservatives to account when he was in opposition, where Boris Johnson was openly lying on the party door and Keir Starmer was demanding full responsibility and calling for Boris Johnson to go… but I’m afraid he has now had to take his own medicine. All the evidence shows that he must go.
Mandelson’s review decision ‘completely unacceptable’ – PM’s chief secretary
While the prime minister is in Paris for talks on opening the Strait of Hormuz, the prime minister’s principal secretary, Darren Jones, objects to Mandelson’s scrutiny of his statements during morning media rounds.
Jones told broadcasters that the State Department’s decision to overrule the security investigation findings was “completely unacceptable”.
He said he ordered an urgent review after discovering that the Foreign Office and other government departments had the right to ignore security advice when appointing people to sensitive roles.
He told Sky News:
This is completely unacceptable, not only in terms of the individual case of Peter Mandelson and all due respect to the Prime Minister’s anger at the Foreign Office for not teaching him this information, but also in terms of the fact that the processes were in place to allow this to happen in the first place.
That is why, in line with my duties in the Cabinet, last night I immediately suspended the rights of these organizations to make these decisions.
I have called for an urgent review of decisions these organizations have taken in the past to overrule the recommendations of the UK safeguards investigation and would still announce a wider, independent review of the review process. And this will now be part of it.
Earlier on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Jones said the Foreign Office had suspended their right to override vetting recommendations. He said:
As soon as I learned last night that the State Department and a small number of other organizations had the right to ignore this recommendation… I immediately suspended those rights and requested an immediate audit.
What you need to know
The story of Mandelson’s review spread quickly overnight, here are the important developments you need to know:
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Last night, the Guardian exclusively revealed that Peter Mandelson had failed to pass security clearance, but the decision was rejected by the Foreign Office to enable him to take up his post as US ambassador. According to multiple sources, Mandelson was first denied permission in late January 2025 after an enhanced vetting process, a highly secretive background check conducted by security officials. Keir Starmer had by then announced that he would make Mandelson the UK’s chief diplomat in Washington, posing a dilemma for Foreign Office officials; State Department officials were using a rarely used authority to override the advice of security officials.
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The Guardian also revealed that senior government officials are considering whether sensitive documents showing Mandelson failed vetting checks should be withheld from parliament. Such a decision would amount to an extraordinary breach of the parliamentary vote known as the humble address, which ordered the release of “all documents” related to Mandelson’s appointment. According to multiple sources, officials across the government were at odds over whether documents that would reveal these facts and other information about Mandelson’s vetting should be presented to the parliamentary intelligence and security committee (ISC).
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The Guardian understands that Starmer, who insiders say was furious, first learned that Mandelson had failed his vetting on Tuesday this week, before the foreign secretary, David Lammy, found out when the Guardian published the story two days later. Late on Thursday, Sir Olly Robbins, the UK’s most senior official at the Foreign Office, was sacked following the decision. At the time of the decision in late January 2025, Robbins was the State Department’s top official, paving the way for Mandelson to become ambassador to the United States.
Pressure on Starmer over Mandelson’s revelations
Good morning and welcome to the UK politics blog at a time when it has been revealed that Peter Mandelson failed to clear security clearance but the decision was rejected by the Foreign Office to ensure he could continue his duties as US ambassador.
The UK Foreign Office’s top official, Sir Olly Robbins, has already been sacked overnight and there are calls from opposition parties for the prime minister to resign.
Keir Starmer is in Paris to chair a meeting of world leaders on the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, based on the facts revealed in Westminster and Whitehall.
Stay with us for all developments and reactions.
