𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Sir Keir Starmer’s former chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, has been summoned to appear before the Foreign Affairs Committee of MPs amid the Lord Mandelson vetting scandal.

It is highly unusual for Downing Street chiefs of staff to appear before Commons committees, even after they have left their posts. Mr McSweeney is to appear next Tuesday to respond to allegations that Downing Street put huge pressure on the Civil Service to approve Lord Mandelson’s appointment as the UK’s ambassador to Washington.

Mr McSweeney quit his role in February, saying he took “full responsibility” for advising the Prime Minister to appoint Lord Mandelson, who had been a close ally and political mentor.

Sir Keir tried to use Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday to say evidence from a sacked senior civil servant around Lord Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador “puts to bed all the allegations levelled at me” after claims that he misled Parliament.

Former Foreign Office chief Sir Olly Robbins was dismissed by the Prime Minister last week after it emerged he did not tell Sir Keir that Lord Mandelson had been cleared to take the top diplomatic post despite security vetting officials recommending against it.

On Tuesday, Sir Olly confirmed the Government’s story to a committee of MPs, but said there was a “dismissive approach” on vetting from No 10 and an “atmosphere of pressure” to get Lord Mandelson’s appointment over the line.

The leaders of opposition parties have called for the Prime Minister to resign for misleading MPs about the appointment process.

At Prime Minister’s Questions, Sir Keir was asked by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch whether he stood by his previous statements to the Commons that due process had been followed in the appointment.

The Prime Minister replied that he did, adding: “Yesterday, Sir Olly Robbins was asked if he shared that decision with me, No 10 or any other ministers. He gave a clear answer: no. That puts to bed all the allegations levelled at me by those opposite in relation to dishonesty.

“Last week, they were all saying that it must have been shared with me. Sir Olly was very clear yesterday – it was not. I believe not sharing it was a serious error of judgement.

“That information should have been shared with me and other ministers, and if it had have been, Mandelson would not have been committed to post.”

Mrs Badenoch said Sir Keir should quit for failing to follow the recommendation to get security clearance for Lord Mandelson before making the appointment.