Pressure on Starmer amid Mandelson revelations as Foreign Office official forced out – UK politics live
TL;DR
Darren Jones criticized the Foreign Office for overruling security vetting findings related to Peter Mandelson. He has ordered an urgent review of the decision-making process in appointing individuals to sensitive roles.
Key points
- Darren Jones criticized the Foreign Office's actions
- The Foreign Office overruled security vetting findings
- An urgent review of the vetting process has been ordered
- The rights to ignore security advice have been suspended
- A broader independent review of the vetting process is planned
Mentioned in this story
With the prime minister in Paris for talks on the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, his chief secretary, Darren Jones, has been taking flak for the Mandelson vetting revelations on the morning media rounds.
Jones has told broadcasters the Foreign Office’s decision to overrule the security vetting findings was “utterly unacceptable”
He said he had ordered an urgent review after discovering that the Foreign Office and other Government departments the right to ignore security advice when appointing people to sensitive roles.
He told Sky News:
double quotation markIt is utterly unacceptable, not just in the individual case of Peter Mandelson and respect of the Prime Minister’s fury at the Foreign Office for not having taught him this information, but the very fact that their processes were in place that allow for that to happen in the first place.
That’s why in my role in the Cabinet Office, immediately last night, I suspended the rights for these organisations to make these judgments.
I’ve asked for an urgent review about what decisions these organisations have taken in the past to overrule the recommendations from UK security vetting, and I was due to announce a broader, independent review of the vetting process anyway. And this will now be part of that.
Earlier on ITV’s Good Morning Britain programme, Jones said he had suspended the rights of the Foreign Office to overrule security vetting recommendations. He said:
double quotation markAs soon as I found out last night that the Foreign Office and a small number of other organisations have the right to ignore the recommendation… I immediately suspended those rights and ordered an urgent audit.
The story about Mandelson’s vetting moved quickly overnight so here are the key developments you need to know about:
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Yesterday evening, the Guardian exclusively revealed Peter Mandelson failed his security vetting clearance but the decision was overruled by the Foreign Office to ensure he could take up his post as ambassador to the US. According to multiple sources, Mandelson was initially denied clearance in late January 2025 after a developed vetting process, a highly confidential background check by security officials. Keir Starmer had by then announced he would be making Mandelson the UK’s chief diplomat in Washington, posing a dilemma for officials at the Foreign Office, who decided to use a rarely used authority to override the recommendation from security officials.
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The Guardian also revealed that senior government officials have been considering whether to withhold from parliament sensitive documents that show Mandelson failed the security vetting checks. Any such decision could amount to an extraordinary breach of a parliamentary vote, known as a humble address, that ordered the release of “all papers” relevant to Mandelson’s appointment. According to multiple sources, officials across government have been in dispute over whether to release documents that would reveal those facts, and other information about Mandelson’s security vetting, to the parliamentary intelligence and security committee (ISC).
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The Guardian understands that Starmer – who insiders said was furious – first learned that Mandelson had failed security vetting on Tuesday this week, while then foreign secretary David Lammy learned about it when the Guardian broke the story two days later. Late on Thursday, Sir Olly Robbins, the UK Foreign Office’s top civil servant, has been forced out of his post over the decision. Robbins was the Foreign Office’s most senior official in late January 2025 when the decision was made, paving the way for Mandelson to become the US ambassador.
Good morning and welcome to the UK politics blog amid the revelation that Peter Mandelson failed his security vetting clearance but the decision was overruled by the Foreign Office to ensure he could take up his post as ambassador to the US.
Sir Olly Robbins, the UK Foreign Office’s top civil servant, has already been forced out of his post overnight and there are calls from opposition parties for the prime minister himself to resign.
Keir Starmer is in Paris to chair a gathering of world leaders on the opening of the Strait of Hormuz as the revelations sink in in Westminster and Whitehall.
Stay with us for all the developments and reaction.
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Q&A
What are the Mandelson vetting revelations in UK politics?
The Mandelson vetting revelations involve the Foreign Office overruling security vetting findings, which has raised concerns about the appointment process for sensitive roles.
Who is Darren Jones and what did he say about the Foreign Office's actions?
Darren Jones is the chief secretary who described the Foreign Office's decision to ignore security vetting as 'utterly unacceptable' and has initiated an urgent review of the situation.
What actions has the UK government taken in response to the vetting issues?
The UK government has suspended the rights of certain organizations to overrule security vetting recommendations and is conducting an urgent review of past decisions.
How does the Foreign Office's decision affect UK security vetting processes?
The Foreign Office's decision raises significant concerns about the integrity of the UK security vetting processes, prompting a broader independent review.
