Starmer seeks to deflect blame over Mandelson appointment

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer put the blame firmly on foreign ministry officials on Monday over the appointment of a U.S. ambassador, saying they had withheld information about Labour veteran Peter Mandelson that would have halted his employment.

Starmer, under pressure to resign by political opponents over the scandal, has repeatedly sought to defend his role in the appointment of Mandelson and turned to parliament to set out his case that he was unaware that foreign ministry officials had been advised not to give security clearance to him.

He again said he regretted appointing Mandelson, whom he sacked in September after revelations about the depth of his ties to the late U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The events have prompted questions about the prime minister's judgment, which resurfaced when the government said last week it had just found out Mandelson had failed a security vetting process.

On Monday, Starmer again expressed his anger over not being told by foreign ministry officials that in January 2025 they had disregarded advice and decided to grant Mandelson what is known as "developed vetting" clearance, a status that allows individuals access to information regarded as top secret.

"It beggars belief that throughout the whole timeline of events, officials in the foreign office saw fit to withhold this information from the most senior ministers in our system in government," Starmer told parliament.

"That is not how the vast majority of people in this country expect politics, government or accountability to work."

An appointment that once was hailed as a stroke of genius for employing a Labour veteran with trade experience who could win over incoming U.S. President Donald Trump has turned out to be an ongoing nightmare for Starmer.

Starmer said he would not have appointed Mandelson if he had known the UK Security Vetting unit had advised that he should not gain the necessary clearance and that he had stopped the foreign office from being able to go against such advice in future.

Starmer, whose popularity has sunk since he won a landslide majority for Labour at a national election in 2024, had previously told parliament all due process had been followed over Mandelson.