Mandelson vetting revelations could finish off Starmer

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Keir Starmer’s job is in deepening peril after the Guardian revealed that Peter Mandelson failed vetting before taking up his role as US ambassador. The Foreign Office is reported to have taken the highly unusual step to overrule the decision. This may have been political. By the time Mandelson was denied clearance – it is not yet known why – Starmer had already announced the appointment. Downing Street claims the prime minister had no knowledge that Mandelson had failed vetting until this week. If this is true, his authority is shot. If it is not, then he appears to have misled the public. On 5 February, Starmer said there had been “security vetting… which is an intensive exercise that gave him [Mandelson] clearance for the role”. Overnight, the UK Foreign Office’s top civil servant was sacked. The prime minister will do very well to survive this and the local elections that are to come.