𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of misleading MPs after reports that Lord Mandelson failed his security vetting but was still made US ambassador. The former Labour grandee was initially denied clearance but the Prime Minister had already announced his appointment to the plum Washington job.

The Foreign Office then took the rare step of overruling the recommendation, according to The Guardian. Sir Keir has previously insisted due process was followed in the appointment, and that Lord Mandelson had lied about the extent of his links with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.

The Labour leader has also said the vetting carried out independently by the security services “gave him clearance for the role”.

But the peer was not granted approval following the secretive process by the Cabinet Office’s UK Security Vetting last January, the newspaper reported.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said: “Last September, Keir Starmer told Parliament three times that ‘full due process’ was followed over the appointment of Lord Mandelson.

“We now know the Prime Minister misled the House. The Prime Minister must take responsibility.”

Lord Mandelson was sacked as the UK’s ambassador to the US last September after new revelations about his links to convicted sex offender Epstein, who died in 2019.

He is facing a criminal investigation into allegations of misconduct in a public office after he was accused of sharing sensitive information with the billionaire during his time as business secretary in 2009.

He was arrested in February and released under investigation.