A new report from The Guardian has now claimed that Mandelson failed the vetting process when it came to his appointment as US ambassador and the Foreign Office overruled the decision. Bhasin said: “Some breaking news to bring you. The Conservative Minister Kemi Badenoch has accused Sir Keir Starmer of misleading parliament over the appointment of Lord Mandelson as US ambassador.”
He handed over to chief political correspondent John Craig, revealing that Badenoch’s comments are in response to the newly published article.
He explained: “What has emerged is a new claim in The Guardian which says that Mandelson failed vetting but the Foreign Office overruled the decision,” adding they did this to “ensure that he could take up his post as US ambassador”.
Craig continued: “Also in this report is something which opposition politicians will seize upon, that senior government officials have been considering whether to withhold from parliament, documents that will reveal that Mandelson was not given vetting approval from security officials.
“That decision which rests with the Cabinet Office has not yet been taken and as this story points out, any attempt to withhold documents from the intelligence and security committee can amount to a breach of the motion to release all papers relating to Mandelson’s appointment.”
He highlighted that Badenoch has now “seized” on this latest claim as she wrote on X: “Last September, Keir Starmer told Parliament three times that ‘full due’ process was followed over the appointment of Lord Mandelson. We know the Prime Minister misled the house. The Prime Minister must take responsibility.”
Craig added: “Fresh embarrassment for Labour. The Tories are turning up the heat over Mandelson’s appointment. We’ve not had a response as yet to the latest claims, but up to now, the government has been insisting that the full process was followed. They have denied any suggestion that the prime minister misled MPs.”
