Overview
- Starmer, who apologized in the Commons on Monday, said appointing Peter Mandelson as US ambassador was a mistake, took responsibility, and announced an inquiry and vetting rule changes.
- The sacked Foreign Office chief Olly Robbins told MPs on Tuesday that reviewers saw Mandelson as a “borderline case” and said he lawfully granted a limited clearance under pressure from Downing Street.
- The Metropolitan Police are investigating Mandelson for suspected misconduct in public office after US Justice Department emails alleged he shared confidential information in 2009, and officers have searched his homes and briefly arrested him.
- Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch is calling for Starmer to resign and accuses him of scapegoating officials, while new reporting describes visible reluctance from some ministers to back him in Parliament.
- The case lays bare a long‑standing practice of announcing political ambassadors before security checks finish, which officials say limits what can be shared with ministers under data rules and which Starmer now says he will change.