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The prime minister’s choice to appoint Lord Mandelson as envoy to Washington is causing a political nightmare for Sir Keir Starmer, with the situation feeling like it’s on endless repeat. The controversy has already resulted in the departure of Sir Olly Robbins, the senior-most official in the Foreign Office, highlighting the severity of the unfolding scandal. Among opposition politicians and some within the Labour Party, there is growing speculation that this crisis could even jeopardize the prime minister’s position.
The drama intensified on Thursday afternoon when The Guardian reported that Lord Mandelson had failed his security vetting, but despite this, the Foreign Office overruled the decision. Efforts to gain clarification from the Foreign Office, Downing Street, the Foreign Secretary David Lammy’s office, and the Cabinet Office were met with silence for nearly three hours. Ordinarily, such reports trigger immediate official responses, but this time there was a conspicuous lack of engagement.
Opposition figures were quick to accuse the prime minister of misleading Parliament, insisting that if he knowingly did so, resignation would be necessary. Just as the BBC team prepared to report live on the story, a government statement arrived, claiming that neither the prime minister nor any minister had been informed of the vetting outcome. This only fueled further criticism from opposition politicians, who questioned how the prime minister could have been so unaware of such a critical piece of information.
The prime minister is expected to address Parliament soon, likely on Monday, to clarify what he knew and when he learned it. Reports suggest he only discovered the vetting issue on Tuesday evening during a document review mandated by Parliament. Sources close to Sir Keir indicate he is enraged by the developments, with individuals who worked at No10 during the time stating they had no knowledge of the matter. It seems Lord Mandelson was also kept in the dark. The government’s position is that the Foreign Office was aware of the vetting failure but failed to inform either the Foreign Secretary or the prime minister. This failure has led to the forced resignation of Sir Olly Robbins, although he has yet to comment publicly. Meanwhile, some speculate the vetting advice may have been ambiguous, leaving the Foreign Office to interpret it as a failure; however, this does not explain the breakdown in communication.
Inside Labour, opinions vary but tend to suggest the prime minister genuinely was unaware of the vetting concerns. One MP remarked, “I think we’ve now reached the stage where the prime minister was blissfully unaware is a good explanation. That’s where we are.” Others expressed dismay or pessimism about the situation, with one critic suggesting the prime minister’s political career may be all but over. Clearly, this is the last predicament the prime minister needs right now, and it is unlikely to be the final episode in this ongoing controversy
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