LONDON - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday that Foreign Office officials overruled a recommendation from United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) and granted Peter Mandelson developed vetting clearance.
Accusing the Foreign Office of withholding information that Mandelson had initially failed security vetting for the role of United States ambassador, Starmer told Parliament that he only learned of this on Tuesday.
The Foreign Office’s power to make the final decision on developed vetting clearance was suspended immediately after the case came to light, Starmer said.
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He added that he would not have proceeded with appointing Mandelson as British ambassador to the US had he known that UKSV had recommended denying developed vetting clearance.
Mandelson was removed as Britain’s ambassador to the US in September 2025 after revelations about his friendship with convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
In a fiery exchange in the House of Commons on Monday, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch criticized Starmer, accusing him of breaching the Ministerial Code by failing to inform Parliament in a timely manner about the vetting scandal.
The Ministerial Code states that ministers who knowingly mislead Parliament are expected to resign, while any inadvertent error should be corrected “at the earliest opportunity.”
Earlier this year, Mandelson was reportedly arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, with investigators examining possible disclosure of market‑sensitive information.
