Keir Starmer has mentioned it “beggars perception” that he was not advised the total story about Peter Mandelson’s vetting by International Workplace officers.
The prime minister acknowledged that many MPs would discover his remarks concerning the newest Mandelson revelations “to be unimaginable”.
The feedback got here as Starmer delivered an announcement to the Home of Commons updating MPs on the appointment of Mandelson as British ambassador to the USA.
Learn the total assertion beneath:
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Thanks Mr Speaker, with permission…
I want to present the Home with data I now have…
In regards to the appointment of Peter Mandelson…
As our ambassador to the USA.
However Mr. Speaker, earlier than I am going into the main points…
I need to be very clear with this Home…
That, whereas this assertion will focus…
On the method surrounding Peter Mandelson’s vetting and appointment…
On the coronary heart of this, there may be additionally a judgement I made that was fallacious.
I shouldn’t have appointed Peter Mandelson.
I take accountability for that call.
And I apologise, once more…
To the victims of the paedophile, Jeffrey Esptein…
Who have been clearly failed by my resolution.
Mr. Speaker, final Tuesday night, the 14th of April…
I came upon, for the primary time…
That on the twenty ninth January 2025…
Earlier than Peter Mandelson took up his place as Ambassador…
The International Workplace officers granted him developed vetting clearance…
In opposition to the precise advice of United Kingdom Safety Vetting…
That developed vetting clearance ought to be denied.
Not solely that…
The International Workplace officers who made that call…
Didn’t cross this data…
To me…
To the International Secretary…
To her predecessor, the Deputy Prime Minister…
To every other Minister…
And even to the previous Cupboard Secretary, Sir Chris Wormald.
I discovered this staggering.
And subsequently, final Tuesday…
I instantly instructed officers in Downing Avenue and the Cupboard Workplace…
To urgently set up the information on my authority.
I needed to know who made the choice…
On what foundation…
Who knew…
And Mr Speaker I needed that data…
For the exact and specific goal of updating this Home.
As a result of that is data I ought to have had a very long time in the past…
And it’s data this Home ought to have had a very long time in the past.
Data that I and the Home had a proper to know.
I’ll now set out a full timeline of the occasions within the Peter Mandelson course of…
Together with from the fact-finding train I instructed final Tuesday.
Earlier than doing so – I need to remind and reassure the Home…
That the Authorities will comply totally…
With the Humble Deal with movement of the 4th February.
Mr Speaker, in December 2024
I used to be within the strategy of appointing a brand new Ambassador for Washington.
A due diligence train was carried out by the Cupboard Workplace…
Into Peter Mandelson’s suitability…
Together with questions put to him by my workers in Quantity 10.
Peter Mandelson answered these questions on the tenth December…
And I acquired last recommendation on the due diligence course of on the eleventh.
I made the choice to nominate him on the 18th December…
The appointment was introduced on the twentieth…
And the safety vetting course of started on the twenty third December 2024.
Mr Speaker, I need to clarify to the Home…
That for a Direct Ministerial Appointment…
It was common for safety vetting to occur after the appointment…
However earlier than beginning in submit.
That was the method in place on the time…
Mr Speaker, this was confirmed by the previous Cupboard Secretary, Sir Chris Wormald…
On the International Affairs Choose Committee on the third of November 2025 when he gave proof…
Sir Chris made clear, and I’m quoting him now:
“After we are making appointments from outdoors the civil service…
The conventional factor is for the safety clearance to occur after appointment…
However earlier than the particular person indicators a contract and takes up submit…”
On the similar listening to of the identical Choose Committee…
The previous Everlasting Secretary to the International Workplace, Sir Olly Robbins mentioned, and I quote once more…
Peter Mandelson “didn’t maintain nationwide safety vetting when he was appointed…
However as is often the case with exterior appointments to my Division and the broader civil service…
The appointment was made topic to acquiring safety clearance”.
Mr Speaker, after I sacked Peter Mandelson…
I modified that course of…
In order that now an appointment can’t be introduced…
Till after safety vetting is handed.
Mr Speaker, the safety vetting was carried out by UK Safety Vetting (UKSV)…
Between the twenty third of December 2024 and the twenty eighth of January 2025.
UKSV carried out vetting, within the regular approach…
Accumulating related data…
In addition to interviewing the applicant – on this case, on two events.
Then, on the twenty eighth of January 2025…
UKSV beneficial to the International Workplace…
That developed vetting clearance ought to be denied to Peter Mandelson.
The next day, on the twenty ninth of January 2025…
However the UKSV advice that developed vetting clearance ought to be denied…
International Workplace officers made the choice…
To grant developed vetting clearance for Peter Mandelson.
To be clear…
For a lot of Departments, a call from UKSV is binding.
However for the International Workplace, the ultimate resolution on developed vetting clearance…
Is made by International Workplace officers…
Not UKSV.
Nevertheless, as soon as the choice on this case got here to mild…
The International Workplace’s energy to make the ultimate resolution on developed vetting clearance…
Was instantly suspended by my Chief Secretary final week.
Mr Speaker, I settle for that the delicate private data offered by a person being vetted… Have to be protected against disclosure.
If that weren’t the case, the integrity of the entire course of could be compromised.
What I don’t settle for…
Is that the appointing minister can’t be advised of the advice by UKSV.
Certainly, given the seriousness of those points…
And the importance of the appointment…
I merely don’t settle for that International Workplace officers couldn’t have knowledgeable me…
Of UKSV’s suggestions…
While additionally sustaining the required confidentiality that vetting requires.
There is no such thing as a legislation that stops Civil Servants sensibly flagging UKSV suggestions
Whereas defending detailed delicate vetting data…
To permit Ministers to make judgements on appointments or on explaining issues to Parliament.
So let me be very clear, the advice within the Peter Mandelson case may and may have been shared with me…
Earlier than he took up his submit.
Mr Speaker
Let me make a second level.
If I had recognized, earlier than he took up his submit…
That UKSV advice was that developed vetting ought to be denied…
I might not have gone forward with the appointment.
Mr. Speaker, let me now transfer to September 2025…
As a result of occasions then – and subsequently…
Present with even starker readability…
The alternatives missed by International Workplace officers…
To make the place clear.
On September tenth, Bloomberg reported contemporary particulars of Mandelson’s historical past with Epstein…
And it was then clear to me…
That Peter Mandelson’s solutions to my workers within the due diligence train weren’t truthful…
And I sacked him.
I additionally modified the Direct Ministerial Appointments course of…
So full due diligence is now required as normal…
The place dangers are recognized – an interview should be taken, pre-appointment…
To debate any dangers and conflicts of curiosity…
And a abstract of this ought to be offered to the appointing Minister…
I additionally made clear that public bulletins shouldn’t now be made till safety vetting has been accomplished.
Mr Speaker, in mild of the revelations in September of final 12 months, I additionally agreed with the then Cupboard Secretary, Sir Chris Wormald…
That he would perform a assessment of the appointment course of within the Peter Mandelson case, together with the vetting.
He set out his findings and conclusions in a letter to me on the sixteenth of September.
He suggested me, in that letter, and once more I quote…
“The proof I’ve reviewed leads me to conclude that acceptable processes have been adopted…
In each the appointment and withdrawal of the previous HMA Washington”.
When he was requested about this, Mr Speaker, final week…
The then Cupboard Secretary was clear…
That when he carried out his assessment, the International Workplace…
Didn’t inform him concerning the UKSV advice…
That developed vetting clearance ought to be denied to Peter Mandelson.
I discover that astonishing.
As I set out…
I don’t settle for that I couldn’t have been advised concerning the advice…
Earlier than Peter Mandelson took up his submit.
I completely don’t settle for that the then Cupboard Secretary – an official not a politician –
when finishing up his assessment, couldn’t have been advised…
That UKSV beneficial that Peter Mandelson ought to be denied developed vetting clearance…
It was a important a part of the method that I had requested him to assessment…
Clearly, he may have been advised and he ought to have been advised.
Mr Speaker, on the identical day because the then Cupboard Secretary wrote to me – in order that’s the sixteenth of September 2025…
The International Secretary and the then Everlasting Secretary of the International Workplace, Sir Olly Robbins…
Supplied a signed assertion to the International Affairs Choose Committee.
The assertion says, and once more I quote…
“The vetting course of was undertaken by UK Safety Vetting on behalf of the FCDO…
And concluded with DV clearance being granted by the FCDO…
Upfront of Lord Mandelson taking on submit in February.
It went on to say, and once more I quote:
“Peter Mandelson’s safety vetting was carried out to the standard normal set for Developed Vetting consistent with established Cupboard Workplace coverage”.
Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear to the Home…
This was in response to questions which included…
Whether or not considerations have been raised…
What the International Workplace’s response was…
And whether or not they have been dismissed.
Mr. Speaker, that the International Secretary was suggested on…
And allowed to signal this assertion by International Workplace officers…
With out being advised that UKSV had beneficial Peter Mandelson be denied developed vetting clearance…
Is totally unforgivable.
This can be a Senior Cupboard Member…
Giving proof to Parliament…
On the very situation in query.
Mr Speaker, in mild of additional revelations about Peter Mandelson in February of this 12 months…
I used to be very involved about the truth that developed vetting clearance had been granted to him.
Not figuring out that, the truth is, UKSV had beneficial denial of developed vetting clearance…
I instructed my officers to hold out a assessment of the nationwide safety vetting course of.
As I set out…
I don’t settle for that I couldn’t have been advised about UKSV’s denial of safety vetting earlier than Peter Mandelson took up his submit in January 2025.
I don’t settle for that the then Cupboard Secretary couldn’t have been advised in September 2025…
When he carried out his assessment into the method.
I don’t settle for that the International Secretary…
Couldn’t have been advised when making statements to the Choose Committee, once more in 2025.
However, Mr Speaker, on prime of that, the truth that I used to be not advised even once I ordered a assessment of the UKSV course of…
Is frankly staggering.
And I can inform the Home,
That I’ve now up to date the Phrases of Reference for the assessment into Safety Vetting…
To ensure it covers the means by which all selections are made in relation to Nationwide Safety Vetting
I’ve appointed Sir Adrian Fulford to steer the assessment.
Individually…
I’ve requested the Authorities Safety Group within the Cupboard Workplace…
To have a look at any safety considerations raised throughout Peter Mandelson’s tenure.
Mr. Speaker…
I do know many members throughout the Home…
Will discover these information to be unimaginable.
To that I can solely say – they’re proper.
It beggars perception…
That all through the complete timeline of occasions…
Officers within the International Workplace…
Noticed match to withhold this data…
From probably the most senior Ministers in our system in Authorities.
That’s not how the overwhelming majority of individuals on this nation…
Anticipate politics, authorities, or accountability to work.
And I don’t assume it’s how most public servants assume it ought to work, both.
I work with a whole lot of civil servants…
Hundreds even…
All of whom act with the utmost integrity, dedication and satisfaction to serve this nation…
Together with officers from the International Workplace…
Who as we converse…
Are doing an exceptional job…
Representing our nationwide curiosity in a harmful world…
In Ukraine…
Within the Center East…
And all around the globe.
This isn’t about them.
However but it’s certainly past doubt…
That the advice from UKSV…
That Peter Mandelson ought to be denied developed vetting clearance…
Was data…
That might and may have been shared with me on repeated events…
And subsequently, ought to have been obtainable to this Home…
And finally to the British folks…
And I commend this assertion to the Home.
