Starmer Did Not Mislead Parliament Over Mandelson Vetting, Says Senior Minister

Starmer Did Not Mislead Parliament Over Mandelson Vetting, Says Senior Minister UK Prime Minister will not resign amid growing political pressure over handling of ambassador appointment controversy UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer did not mislead Parliament over the handling of Lord Peter Mandelson’s security vetting and has no intention of stepping down, a senior government minister has told the BBC. The comments come amid escalating political pressure over revelations that Mandelson was initially denied security clearance before being appointed as UK ambassador to the United States, but that the decision was later overruled within the Foreign Office. The minister insisted that Starmer was not aware of the security vetting concerns at the time key statements were made in Parliament and therefore could not have intentionally misled MPs. According to the government’s position, responsibility for vetting decisions sits with the UK Security Vetting system, which provides recommendations to departments, while final administrative decisions can, in some cases, be escalated or reconsidered internally. Officials maintain that this process was followed, even though it has now been acknowledged that the Foreign Office override of the vetting recommendation was not escalated to the Prime Minister The controversy centres on reports that Mandelson failed developed vetting in January 2025, but was still cleared for the diplomatic post after an internal override within the Foreign Office. The issue has triggered widespread criticism from opposition parties, who argue that Parliament may have been misled about the integrity of the appointment process. Opposition figures have called for further investigations into whether ministers were properly informed and whether Parliament was given a full and accurate account of events. Despite growing scrutiny, the senior minister said the Prime Minister is not considering resignation and remains focused on governing. The government has also moved to tighten internal rules on security clearance decisions, including suspending the ability of departments to override vetting recommendations while a review is conducted The scandal has already led to the resignation of a senior Foreign Office official and triggered wider questions about accountability in the civil service and ministerial oversight. Opposition parties are continuing to demand a full parliamentary inquiry into the handling of Mandelson’s appointment, with further disclosures expected in the coming days. Downing Street has said it is committed to releasing relevant documents under parliamentary orders, subject to national security considerations.