Overview
- Opposition parties asked the Speaker on Wednesday to refer Keir Starmer to the Privileges Committee over claims he misled MPs by saying due process was followed in appointing Lord Peter Mandelson as US ambassador.
- Former Foreign Office chief Sir Olly Robbins told MPs on Tuesday he did not share UK Security Vetting’s advice to deny high‑level clearance with the prime minister or No 10 and described pressure from Downing Street to complete the appointment, which Starmer says supports his assertion he did not knowingly mislead Parliament.
- Starmer acknowledged there were conversations about finding a diplomatic role for his then communications chief Matthew Doyle after Robbins alleged No 10 tried to place him in a post without telling the foreign secretary, while Doyle said he never sought such a job.
- Oversight is widening, with a leak inquiry now open into how vetting details reached the media and Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee saying it still lacks all relevant files, as MPs question Cabinet Office permanent secretary Cat Little on Thursday and summon ex–No 10 aide Morgan McSweeney next week.
- UK Security Vetting recommended against giving Mandelson the highest clearance known as Developed Vetting, yet he proceeded with case‑by‑case access to classified material under mitigations before being named ambassador, which highlights how sensitive vetting judgments can be overridden within tight controls.