What Starmer said, and didn’t say, in the Commons about the Mandelson saga
Summary
Prime Minister Keir Starmer explained the timeline and details of why Peter Mandelson was initially denied security clearance and how this information was not shared with the Prime Minister’s office. Starmer announced new rules to prevent officials from overruling security vetting decisions and said an inquiry is investigating possible security breaches linked to Mandelson.Key Facts
- Peter Mandelson was first refused developed security clearance on January 28, 2025.
- The Foreign Office overruled this refusal the next day and granted clearance.
- Starmer said the Prime Minister’s office was not informed at key points about the initial refusal.
- New rules now require security clearance to be completed before any job appointment is announced.
- The Foreign Office can no longer overrule decisions made by the UK Security Vetting team.
- An inquiry has started to check if Mandelson caused any security problems while in the role.
- Former senior civil servant Olly Robbins, linked to handling the case, was removed from his position.
- Starmer said he did not mislead Parliament about the vetting process despite earlier claims that normal procedures were followed.
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