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Members of Parliament have rejected a proposal to investigate whether Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer deliberately misled Parliament concerning the appointment of Lord Mandelson as the UK ambassador to the United States. The motion, introduced by the Conservative Party, aimed to have the Prime Minister referred to the Privileges Committee. This motion arose from disputes over the statements Sir Keir made related to Mandelson’s security vetting process.
Lord Mandelson was appointed to the ambassadorial post in December 2024 but was dismissed in September 2025 following revelations about his connections to Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender. Sir Keir has characterized claims that he misled Parliament as “totally baseless” and dismissed them as a “political stunt.” BBC Verify reviewed three key assertions the Prime Minister made in the House of Commons that critics allege were misleading.
On April 22, 2026, during Prime Minister’s Questions, Sir Keir was asked whether he believed full due process had been observed in Mandelson’s appointment. He affirmed that it had been and cited testimony given the day before by Sir Olly Robbins, the former senior Foreign Office official who had recently been dismissed by the Prime Minister. Sir Keir quoted Robbins stating that he did not feel personal pressure regarding his judgment and insisted that “no pressure existed whatsoever” in the case. However, Sir Olly Robbins also told the committee that his office and that of the Foreign Secretary experienced continuous pressure, especially from No 10’s private office. The government maintains that the pressure referred solely to the speed of the appointment process, not the security clearance decision.
Further scrutiny came on September 10, 2025, when the Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch questioned Sir Keir about his knowledge of Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein at the time of the appointment. It emerged that UK Security Vetting (UKSV), the body responsible for developed vetting, had initially advised against granting Mandelson security clearance. Sir Olly Robbins approved the clearance without informing the Prime Minister of the UKSV recommendation. This decision aligns with what Robbins described as the proper process. Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey questioned the integrity of the procedure, highlighting a November 2024 letter from former Cabinet Secretary Sir Simon Case recommending thorough vetting ahead of confirming appointments. In contrast, another former official, Sir Philip Barton, noted that the usual process involves security clearance before any announcement is made.
Lastly, Sir Keir was questioned about advice from Sir Simon Case that security vetting should precede public announcement of the appointment. Sir Olly Robbins told the Foreign Affairs Select Committee that it was not established at the time of the appointment that Mandelson would be vetted, noting that the December 20 announcement did not mention vetting as a condition. Later correspondence indicated that discussions took place on December 23 between security officials and the Cabinet Office concerning whether Mandelson required developed vetting as a “Fit and Proper Person,” with the conclusion that such vetting was necessary
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