UK’s Starmer faces parliament over Mandelson vetting as resignation demands swirl

LONDON, April 20 (Reuters) – British premier Keir Starmer will address parliament on Monday, facing calls for his resignation over his handling of the appointment of Peter Mandelson, a senior figure in his ruling Labour party, as U.S. ambassador, though it emerged he had failed a vetting process.

Mandelson, 72, was sacked as ambassador in September last year following revelations about the depth of his ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, with Starmer apologising for appointing him in the first place.

But on Thursday, new information came to light which showed Mandelson had failed a security vetting process carried out before he was appointed, heaping pressure on the beleaguered prime minister whose popularity has sunk since he won a huge majority for Labour at a national election in 2024.

TOP OFFICIAL SACKED

Starmer, who had previously told parliament all due process had been followed over Mandelson, has said it was unforgivable he wasn’t told about the vetting failure until last week. Top Foreign Office official Olly Robbins was consequently sacked.

Starmer said he would “set out the relevant facts” to lawmakers on Monday, while Robbins is due to give evidence in front of a parliamentary committee on Tuesday.

However, his opponents have accused Starmer of lying and incompetence, and say his job is no longer tenable.

Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrats leader, said he had shown “catastrophic misjudgement”, while Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the main opposition Conservative Party, said at best he had been recklessly negligent.

APPOINTMENT ‘INSULTED EPSTEIN’S VICTIMS’

“This has been a tawdry and shaming affair for you and your party, and for this country,” she said in a letter sent to the prime minister on Sunday.

“Not only have you damaged our relationship with the United States and insulted the victims of the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, but you have also undermined our national security by giving the highest diplomatic post to an individual that the security services found to be of ‘high concern’.”

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said on Sunday that if Starmer had known Mandelson had failed vetting, he would not have appointed him even though he had already been chosen to be the next ambassador.

“There is no way that he would have proceeded with that whatever the so-called embarrassment, he would have thought that was wrong, and he would not have done it,” Kendall told Sky News.

(Reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by David Holmes)