𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Opposition parties are pressing the Commons Speaker to refer Sir Keir Starmer to a formal parliamentary sleaze investigation amid claims the Prime Minister misled MPs over the Lord Mandelson vetting scandal.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch is pushing for Starmer to be referred to the privileges committee — the body that ended Boris Johnson’s political career after finding he had lied to the Commons over the lockdown parties scandal. She is being backed by the leaders of the Liberal Democrats and the SNP, who are also privately urging Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle to act.

Badenoch believes there is evidence Starmer misled the Commons when he said “due process” had been followed in appointing Mandelson as US ambassador in 2024. In fact, Simon Case — the cabinet secretary at the time and now Lord Case — had told Starmer to complete security vetting before announcing the appointment, advice the Prime Minister chose to ignore.

She is also pointing to Starmer’s claim at Prime Minister’s Questions that “no pressure existed whatsoever in this case” — directly contradicted by Sir Oliver Robbins, whom Starmer sacked as the Foreign Office’s permanent secretary last week, who said “constant pressure” was applied.

A Conservative spokesman said, “all options were on the table” when it came to making Starmer answer for his conduct in parliament, reports The Times. However, opposition parties acknowledged that Hoyle was being “cautious” and wanted to ensure tacit support from some Labour MPs before acting. Any referral motion would need to clear a vote of the full House before proceeding.

Are Labour ministers turning on Starmer?

The Prime Minister is facing mounting internal pressure as critical local elections loom in two weeks. At a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Foreign Secretary David Lammy all raised concerns about how Downing Street had handled the crisis.

On Wednesday, the first Labour MP publicly called for Starmer to resign over the vetting scandal, saying none of his colleagues “reasonably expects” the Prime Minister to last until the next general election.

What happens next for the Prime Minister?

Starmer’s position could be further weakened by Sir Philip Barton — Robbins’s predecessor who opposed Mandelson’s appointment — who has been asked to give evidence to the foreign affairs select committee.

Dame Emily Thornberry, the Labour MP who chairs the committee, this week highlighted claims that Morgan McSweeney, when he was the Prime Minister’s chief of staff, told Barton to “just f***ing approve it” — referring to Mandelson’s appointment.

McSweeney has pushed back on reports that he used abusive language towards Barton, though he is said to have raised concerns about delays in announcing a departure date for Dame Karen Pierce, the outgoing US ambassador. He is due to give evidence to MPs on Tuesday.

What is Starmer saying about allegations he broke the ministerial code?

The Prime Minister has denied misleading the Commons — an act considered a resigning offence under the ministerial code. He said that Sir Chris Wormald, who succeeded Case as cabinet secretary, had made clear it was “normal” for vetting to take place after appointments had been made when candidates were external.