The former head of the Foreign Office, Sir Philip Barton, told MPs today that officials did suggest Peter Mandelson should be waved through security checks. He stated that the Cabinet Office initially argued that, as a peer, the New Labour architect was a 'fit and proper person' and did not require 'developed vetting'. Sir Philip also revealed he was not consulted about Mandelson's appointment, as the Prime Minister had 'accepted the risks and decided to proceed'.
Starmer Faces Commons Showdown
The evidence emerged as Sir Keir Starmer fights to save his political skin, facing a Commons showdown that could determine his fate. Downing Street is using every available lever to prevent Labour MPs from rebelling in a vote on whether the PM misled the House over the Mandelson scandal. Whips have warned that those failing to back Sir Keir could face expulsion from the party, with ministers calling waverers to secure their support.
Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has been brought in to condemn the idea of referring Sir Keir to the privileges committee, in a sign of how seriously No10 is taking the threat. However, even before the crunch Commons debate begins at lunchtime, the premier faces further moments of extreme peril.
Key Testimonies Ahead
Sir Philip Barton is due to appear before the Foreign Affairs Committee at 9am, where he is expected to confirm he was pressured by Downing Street to rush through Mandelson's appointment as US ambassador. Sir Keir's former chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, will then be grilled by MPs in his first significant public appearance since the furore erupted.
Defeat for the PM would trigger a formal inquiry by the privileges committee, throwing his floundering government deeper into a tailspin. A major arm-twisting operation is in full effect, with a three-line whip requiring Labour MPs to support the Government. This contrasts sharply with Sir Keir's previous stance when he called a similar vote against Boris Johnson over Partygate, arguing then that MPs should follow their own consciences.
Writing in the Daily Mail, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said MPs of all stripes have a duty to hold Sir Keir to account for treating Parliament with 'contempt'. She told Labour backbenchers they are 'not in the Commons simply to protect the PM from embarrassment'. 'Labour MPs now face a test of their own,' she said. 'They can circle the wagons, obey the Whips and tell themselves this is just politics. Or they can remember they are MPs before they are members of the Labour Party.'
Starmer's Defence
Allies of Sir Keir are confident they can hold restive Labour MPs at bay, with crucial local elections barely a week away. The PM told a packed meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party last night: 'When we stick together and fight together we are so much stronger.' He dismissed the Commons vote as a 'stunt' ahead of the May elections. 'I have responsibility for being totally transparent with you, with Parliament and the British public,' he said. 'I take that very seriously as well. But this is not about a lack of transparency. This is a political stunt by our opponents who want to bring us down, obscure our message, stop us getting on with our work. And the timing tells you everything, nine days before local elections.'
He insisted the Conservatives had put forward 'totally baseless' and 'absolutely ridiculous' accusations against him, adding: 'We need to stand together against it.'
Background on Mandelson Appointment
The Privileges Committee was responsible for Boris Johnson's exit from frontline politics after it investigated him for misleading the House over the 'Partygate' breaches of Covid laws in Downing Street. He quit as an MP in 2023 before the committee published a report recommending his suspension.
The Government took the unusual step last night of publishing a letter from former cabinet secretary Sir Chris Wormald to the PM, in which he stated that 'appropriate processes were followed' in both the appointment and sacking of the peer. Sir Keir has also faced questions for insisting to MPs that 'no pressure existed whatsoever in relation to this case' after former top Foreign Office official Sir Olly Robbins said there had been 'constant chasing' from No 10 while checks were taking place for the ambassadorship.
Sir Olly's claims were echoed in written evidence to the Foreign Affairs Committee published last night from another key figure in the security process. According to a letter from the Foreign Office drafted in consultation with Ian Collard, who was head of security in the department, the official said he 'felt pressure to deliver a rapid outcome' to the clearance procedure. This was in light of 'regular contact from No 10 to the FCDO (permanent under-secretary's) office,' the letter said, although Mr Collard did not personally speak to Downing Street colleagues and 'does not assess that this pressure influenced professional judgment that was reached by himself or his team'.
The PM has been accused of misleading MPs by saying 'full due process' was followed in appointing Lord Mandelson, who was given developed vetting status despite failing security checks. The Foreign Office, under then top civil servant Sir Olly, cleared him despite red flags raised by experts at the UK Security Vetting (UKSV) agency. Mr Collard, who briefed Sir Olly on the vetting findings, also did not see the UKSV file recommending clearance be denied, according to the letter published on Monday. Instead, he received an oral briefing from officials which led him to believe Lord Mandelson's case was 'borderline' and that 'the risks could be mitigated,' the evidence said.
Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle granted the request for a vote on referring Sir Keir to the privileges committee. In a statement, Mr Brown urged Labour to unite in focusing on putting 'the needs of the country first'. 'Whatever the parliamentary games at Westminster, what the country expects of everyone in Labour is to focus on the priorities of the British people, which is what Keir Starmer is doing and for which he deserves all our support,' he said.
