Keir Starmer to face vote on Mandelson vetting scandal as key figures give evidence to MPs – UK politics live | Politics

Last night the foreign relations committee announced a long note Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ response to questions posed to it Ian CollardAt the time of Mandelson’s appointment, he was chief of security at the State Department. Collard was the person who briefed Olly Robbins on the results of the Mandelson review interviews and recommended that the review should be approved because the risks highlighted in the review interviews could be managed.

At work Henry Dyer‘s story about the document.

Good morning. Former US president Lyndon Johnson was credited with saying that the most important skill in politics was knowing how to count; This means that in the end, the important thing is to win votes. But sometimes what is just as important, if not more important, in politics is the ability to win the argument. Today Keir Starmer will be put to the test on both of these metrics.

Winning the vote should be easy. Here’s our overnight preview story: Pippa Crerar About the events that led to today’s vote a move It was tabled by Kemi Badenoch, as well as MPs from five other opposition parties (Lib Dems, SNP, DUP, Restore Britain, TUV) and a number of independents, who referred Starmer to the privileges committee.

Labor MPs have a three-way battle to vote against the motion and the government is expected to win easily. “We will reject our vote” Jonathan ReynoldsThe chief whip told Sky News last night.

Badenoch, who will open the debate, hopes to convince MPs and the public that Starmer lied to the House of Commons about the appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador, just as Boris Johnson lied to MPs about Partygate. This will be quite challenging; The claim that Starmer deliberately misled MPs is flimsy and the comparison to Johnson is inaccurate. Labor says today’s vote is just a demonstration ahead of next week’s local elections. This morning on the Today show Alex BurghartThe Shadow Cabinet Minister rejected the claim, saying: “There is no political game being played here.” MPs are lucky they couldn’t be referred to the privileges committee for lying to Radio 4.

But the Mandelson case isn’t actually about whether Starmer misled MPs. The real problem, in the opinion of the public and most MPs, was that Starmer appointed Mandelson in the first place. Then, a fortnight ago, Starmer compounded the problem when the Guardian sacked Olly Robbins as permanent secretary of the Foreign Office after he revealed that Robbins had approved Mandelson’s security clearance despite the UK Security Review team who interviewed Mandelson initially recommending that the review should be refused. Robbins did not know this at the time, and the decision to fire him is now viewed as grossly unfair.

This morning, before the House of Commons debate begins, the House of Commons foreign affairs committee will hear two witnesses who are likely to give much more information about how Mandelson was appointed in the first place. They are Philip Barton, the former permanent secretary at the Foreign Office, and Morgan McSweeney, Starmer’s former private secretary. McSweeney’s evidence must be the most interesting because he was instrumental in helping Starmer become Labor leader and then prime minister, and he has never before been questioned at length in public like this. While Starmer is almost certain to win the Commons vote, committee evidence could have a more significant impact on how he is viewed by MPs.

Here is the agenda of the day.

9am: Philip Barton, former permanent secretary at the Foreign Office, testifies to the House of Commons foreign affairs committee.

Morning: Keir Starmer chair cabinet.

11am: Keir Starmer’s former private secretary Morgan McSweeney is giving evidence to the foreign affairs committee.

Afternoon: A lobby briefing is being held in Downing Street.

After 12.40: Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch opened the debate on sending Keir Starmer to the privileges committee. MPs will vote at 19.00.

Afternoon: Starmer chairs meeting of government’s Middle East intervention committee

After 3pm: Peers vote on House of Commons amendments to child welfare and schools bill.

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