Politics LIVE: Top civil servant faces major grilling over Mandelson | Politics | News

Sir Keir Starmer faces mounting criticism from his own party over the scandal, while a senior civil servant will be questioned about Lord Peter Mandelson’s investigation process. Cat Little, the Cabinet Office’s most senior official, will appear before the same group of MPs who quizzed Sir Olly Robbins earlier this week.

Ms Little told the Prime Minister last week that Lord Mandelson had been given high-level security clearance despite investigators advising him otherwise. Ms Little had been aware of sensitive information linked to Lord Mandelson’s review since March. Downing Street has previously said there was “absolutely no suggestion” that Ms Little’s position as Cabinet Permanent Secretary was being questioned.

According to multiple reports, divisions have emerged in the cabinet over Sir Keir’s handling of the process; this included the decision to sack Foreign Office chief Sir Olly for failing to brief him on the details of the review decision.

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