Keir Starmer dealt fresh blow as key figure in Mandelson vetting row gives brutal verdict | Politics | News
Lord Mandelson, a key figure in the review process, said the former Labor ambassador felt under pressure from No 10 over security checks. Foreign Office official Ian Collard said he “felt pressure to achieve a speedy outcome” over the appointment of the former Labor ambassador to the US ambassadorship.
But the department said in a letter to the Foreign Affairs Committee that this did not affect its professional judgement. Sir Keir Starmer faces intense scrutiny after it was revealed Lord Mandelson was appointed to the key post in Washington despite failing security checks.
The Prime Minister was accused of misleading MPs by saying “the full legal process” had been followed.
The Foreign Office, under Sir Olly Robbins, the most senior civil servant at the time, cleared the peerage despite red flags being raised.
Sir Keir also faced questions for telling MPs there was “no pressure involved in this case”.
Sir Olly, who was sacked by the Prime Minister for failing to disclose security concerns to ministers, told MPs on the Foreign Affairs Committee last week that “my office and the Foreign Office office are under constant pressure” over the appointment in January 2025.
Sir Keir told the Sunday Times that he was not talking about “day-to-day pressure from the government” but about the proposal to put special pressure on Sir Olly to give Lord Mandelson enhanced scrutiny status.
He added: “[Sir Olly] It was obvious that this was not the pressure exerted on him. “He also says none of this influenced his decision.”
Meanwhile, the Foreign Affairs Committee will hear from Sir Keir’s former private secretary Morgan McSweeney, who resigned in February amid backlash.
