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Revealed: Mandelson failed vetting but Foreign Office overruled decision

questions about the prime minister’s judgment in appointing him. Starmer will also be pressed over whether he misled the public in remarks about the security vetting process, which he said had given Mandelson

Five unanswered questions on Keir Starmer’s Mandelson debacle

questions on Keir Starmer’s Mandelson debacle Downing Street [has tried to do](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/17/keir-starmer-peter-mandelson-unforgivable-not-told-failed-vetting) a lot of explaining, as has Keir Starmer himself. But there are still plenty of things

Ministers rally around Keir Starmer as leadership questions grow over Mandelson saga – UK politics live

Starmer as leadership questions grow over Mandelson saga – UK politics live **Liz Kendall** has repeated David Lammy’s claim the prime minister would have stopped **Peter Mandelson’s** appointment if he had known the peer

Why Starmer still can't move on from the Mandelson mess

Starmer's team asked Mandelson three further questions after that report and were satisfied with his answers, although they now believe he misled them. Step two: crucially after the prime minister had given the former

Five questions awaiting Starmer as he faces Commons over Mandelson scandal

Starmer is set to face a packed Commons later where he will address questions over Lord Mandelson's vetting

What is Developed Vetting security clearance at centre of Mandelson row?

vetting process. After reviewing the due dilligence findings, No 10 sources said Sir Keir Starmer asked Lord Mandelson to address three specific questions

Olly Robbins and Mandelson’s vetting: what did he do, why – and who knew?

Mandelson’s appointment despite him failing his security vetting has electrified the question of who knew what and when. Speaking on Friday, [Keir Starmer

Foreign secretary concerned ministers not told of Mandelson vetting fears sooner

vetting process to appoint Lord Mandelson as US ambassador. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is facing calls to resign from opposition parties and is due to answer questions

Starmer accused of 'skulking' and shunning Sarwar in Scotland

Starmer, who is mired in controversy. "He still has monumental questions to answer in the House of Commons about what he knew about [Peter Mandelson's vetting

Badenoch accuses PM of misleading MPs over Mandelson vetting

vetting decision to ensure the peer could take up the post. Lord Mandelson was sacked as ambassador last year over his ties to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The government and Lord Mandelson

Starmer is facing his judgment day over Mandelson missteps

Starmer been aware that Mandelson had failed his vetting, allies say, he would have [blocked the appointment](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/18/starmer-would-have-blocked-mandelson-role-over-vetting-failure-says-lammy). Of course, had he been aware and it had gone ahead, he would

Starmer would have blocked Mandelson role over vetting failure, says Lammy

Mandelson’s vetting process, or had asked questions about it, during their time at the Foreign Office, he said: “No. And let me just be absolutely clear, in the years in which I have been

Mandelson saga is a messy palaver - and the questions continue to swirl

Mandelson didn't clear security vetting. Maddox [even published his WhatsApp exchange](https://x.com/DavidPBMaddox/status/2045068443293036688?s=20) with Downing Street in which he sought a reply from them. Why, given this, were more questions not asked then

Senior official ousted over Mandelson security row to face MPs

Mandelson was granted a security clearance despite concerns raised during the vetting process is expected to face questions from MPs on Tuesday. Sir Olly Robbins will be grilled by the Foreign Affairs Committee over

Officials debate withholding Mandelson vetting documents from parliament

Starmer (right) and Mandelson during a welcome reception in Washington DC in February 2025. Photograph: Carl Court/AP In February 2026, parliament voted for a rare motion brought by the Tories to compel the government

Retired high court judge to review Peter Mandelson’s vetting process

Mandelson would not have been able to take up his role as ambassador in Washington, risking embarrassment to [Starmer who had selected him as a political appointee](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/nov/03/starmer-briefed-on-peter-mandelson-jeffrey-epstein-links-before-appointing-him-say-civil-servants). Since the Guardian’s revelations

Starmer should face Commons inquiry over Mandelson vetting, says Ed Davey

Mandelson’s vetting process. It seems there were,” she said. “Who overrode these concerns? Why were we kept in the dark? People need to stop messing us about and tell us the truth.” Downing Street

Starmer faces Commons showdown over Mandelson vetting scandal

Starmer told the [Daily Mirror](https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/keir-starmer-mandelson-wasnt-told-37038699): “The fact that I wasn’t told that Peter Mandelson had failed his security vetting when he was appointed is astonishing. “The fact that I wasn

Ministers urged to share Mandelson vetting files with intelligence committee

vetting failure but did not inform [Keir Starmer](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/keir-starmer), the prime minister, for several weeks. Amid an impasse, there were fears among at least some officials that there might be a cover

Starmer was kept in dark about Mandelson’s vetting by two top civil servants

Starmer had announced Mandelson would be his ambassador to Washington. The document identified highly sensitive concerns UKSV had about Mandelson and recommended, in conclusion, that he should not be given security clearance. It was that