Former Labour MP Karl Turner has called for Keir Starmer to face a Commons committee over allegations of misleading parliament regarding Peter Mandelson's appointment as ambassador to Washington.
Key points
Karl Turner calls for Keir Starmer to face a Commons committee
Allegations involve misleading parliament over Mandelson's appointment
Turner lost the Labour whip after criticizing Starmer
He urged the speaker to refer Starmer to the privileges committee
Mentioned in this story
Karl TurnerKeir StarmerPeter MandelsonLabour
A former Labour MP has joined opposition parties calling for Keir Starmer to face a Commons committee to examine whether the prime minister misled parliament as the government’s crisis surrounding the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington continues.
Karl Turner, who lost the Labour whip last month after making a series of interventions criticising Starmer and No 10, has written to the speaker of the Commons urging him to refer Starmer to the privileges committee, the same body that found Boris Johnson had lied in the Commons over the lockdown parties scandal.
Karl Turner with his white fluffy dog wearing a Labour rosette.
Karl Turner in 2024. He has been MP for East Hull since 2010 and now sits as an independent MP. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian
In a letter to the speaker posted on X, which has since been deleted, he wrote that he was raising a “matter of serious concern regarding the conduct” of Starmer during prime minister’s questions on Wednesday.
Turner, who now sits as an independent MP, said it was “clear that the prime minister’s characterisation of that evidence is, at best, inaccurate and, at worst, misleading to the House”.
In the X post accompanying the letter, Turner said: “Let me be clear, I’m not accusing the PM of deliberately misleading the House of Commons. However, there are evident inconsistencies between statements made during PMQs, and the evidence given by Oliver Robbins.”
What allegations are being made against Keir Starmer?
Keir Starmer is accused of misleading parliament concerning the vetting process for Peter Mandelson's appointment as ambassador to Washington.
Who is Karl Turner and what is his role in this situation?
Karl Turner is a former Labour MP who has urged the Commons speaker to refer Keir Starmer to the privileges committee over concerns about his conduct.
What is the privileges committee and why is it significant?
The privileges committee investigates allegations of misleading parliament, similar to its previous findings against Boris Johnson regarding the lockdown parties scandal.
What prompted Karl Turner to take action against Starmer?
Turner expressed serious concerns about Starmer's conduct during prime minister's questions, leading him to write to the Commons speaker.
A copy of Karl Turner’s letter to the speaker on headed notepaper
Karl Turner’s letter to the speaker. Photograph: Karl Turner
Robbins, who was sacked by Starmer last week after the Guardian disclosed he had overturned a recommendation from UK Security Vetting (UKSV) to deny clearance for Mandelson, told MPs on the foreign affairs committee on Tuesday that “constant pressure” was applied.
The Conservatives, with the support of the Liberal Democrats and the SNP, have been pushing for the privileges committee to intervene in the crisis, and are understood to be exploring a Johnson-style motion whereby all MPs could vote on whether the committee should explore if Starmer was in contempt of parliament.
The shadow chancellor, Mel Stride, said on Thursday that the privileges committee should examine if Starmer had misled parliament, saying testimony by Robbins on Tuesday “directly contradicts” assurances given by the prime minister in the Commons. “Our belief is that the prime minister has misled parliament, because what he’s said in parliament is that pressure was not applied, and he’s been contradicted by Olly Robbins,” Stride told GB News.
During Cabinet Office questions, the shadow Cabinet Office minister Alex Burghart repeated the claim that Starmer had misquoted Robbins’ evidence. “Yesterday the prime minister also told the house Sir Olly was absolutely clear that nobody put pressure on him to make this appointment, but this is not what Sir Olly said to [the] committee,” Burghart said to the chief secretary to the prime minister, Darren Jones.
Last week, the Liberal Democrat leader, Ed Davey, said: “We need to get to the bottom of exactly what Keir Starmer knew when, and whether he intentionally misled parliament over this appalling scandal. The public deserves the truth, not another cover-up.”
The prime minister’s spokesperson said Starmer did not mislead the house, and was “being very specific in terms of talking about the allegation that there was pressure around taking up the role regardless of the vetting outcome”. They added: “We’ve been very clear that wasn’t the case.”
