Keir Starmer did not know Mandelson failed vetting, government says

Lord Mandelson was sacked as ambassador last year over his ties to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

During Prime Minister’s Questions on 10 September 2025, Sir Keir said three times that “full due process” was followed for the appointment.

The Ministerial Code states that ministers who knowingly mislead Parliament are expected to resign.

Taking questions from journalists following a press conference on 5 February in Hastings, Sir Keir also said that there was “security vetting carried out independently by the security services, which is an intensive exercise that gave [Lord Mandelson] clearance for the role, and you have to go through that before you take up the post”.

Lord Mandelson was announced as the UK’s ambassador to the US in December 2024, before in depth vetting had been carried out, and formally took up the role on 10 February 2025.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called for the PM to resign.

“The prime minister appointed Peter Mandelson before the vetting had been completed, vetting Mandelson failed,” she said.

“Starmer then said full due process was followed. That is misleading Parliament.

“I’m only holding him to the same standards to which he’s held previous prime ministers – that if they mislead parliament, they should resign.

“In these dangerous times, Britain cannot afford to have a prime minister who the country doesn’t trust. Starmer has betrayed our national security. He should go.”

The revelations have reignited anger over Lord Mandelson’s appointment and raise further questions over the prime minister’s judgement.

Before the government released its statement, the Liberal Democrats said Sir Keir should resign if he had misled Parliament.

Reform UK, the Green Party and Plaid Cymru have also called for the prime minister to go, accusing him of lying about Lord Mandelson’s vetting.

Meanwhile, the Scottish National Party have written to the independent adviser on ministerial standards, Sir Laurie Magnus, calling for an investigation into whether the PM deliberately misled the public.