LONDON, April 17 - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was met with renewed calls to quit on Friday after the government disclosed that his former ambassador to the United States failed security vetting yet still took up the position.
The administration confirmed on Thursday that Mandelson - who was later sacked after Starmer said he had lied about the strength of his relationship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein - had not passed his security vetting before assuming the post. Officials said the prime minister had not been made aware that staff at the foreign office had overruled the vetting advice.
A source indicated that Ollie Robbins, the most senior official at the foreign ministry, would depart his role after losing Starmer's confidence. That development has become a focal point for critics who say ministerial responsibility should extend to the prime minister himself.
Opposition response
Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey, speaking on BBC Radio, said the prime minister could not avoid responsibility by dismissing the senior official. "I don’t think the prime minister can get out of his responsibility by sacking Ollie Robbins. I think the buck has to stop with Mr. Starmer," he said. He added: "I think the evidence suggests that he misled the Commons (parliament) and misled the public. That’s against all the rules, and that’s why we’ve called for him to go."
Prime minister's stance and next steps
Starmer has apologised for the appointment but has defended his conduct, accusing Mandelson of constructing a "litany of deceit" about his ties to Epstein and pledging to publish documents detailing how the appointment was made.
Senior minister Darren Jones told LBC that Starmer was "furious" at not being informed that Mandelson had failed the vetting process and that the prime minister would provide an update to parliament on Monday. Jones argued that Starmer had not misled parliament, and that while the procedures in the case had been followed, they were flawed. "I don’t think it brings the Prime Minister’s future into question," Jones said.
Investigation and comment
Mandelson is the subject of a police inquiry into allegations that he leaked government documents to the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He has not publicly addressed the claims that he leaked documents, and on Thursday a lawyer for Mandelson did not offer comment about the vetting process.
The sequence of events - a failed vetting decision, an apparent override by foreign office officials, and the departure of a senior civil servant after losing the prime minister's confidence - has sharpened scrutiny of ministerial accountability and the procedures governing diplomatic appointments.