The Foreign Office (FCDO) is “working urgently” to comply with Sir Keir Starmer’s request to establish the facts around Lord Peter Mandelson’s security vetting for him to become the UK’s ambassador to the US.
A spokesman for the FCDO said: “The Prime Minister has initiated a process to establish the facts of the granting of developed vetting and we are working urgently to comply with that process.”
The Foreign Affairs Select Committee is intending to summon senior civil servant, Sir Oliver Robbins, over his previous evidence on the vetting process for Lord Mandelson.
Emily Thornberry, committee chair, said: “Looking at the evidence that was given and the letters that have been written, to be charitable, there are glaring holes. It really is a question of whether we were knowingly misled.”
This comes after a Government spokesman confirmed Lord Mandelson failed security vetting but has said Sir Keir Starmer was not “aware” the clearance had been granted.
In a statement, they said: “The security vetting process for Peter Mandelson was sponsored by the FCDO. The decision to grant Developed Vetting to Peter Mandelson against the recommendation of UK Security Vetting was taken by officials in the FCDO.
“Neither the Prime Minister, nor any Government Minister, was aware that Peter Mandelson was granted Developed Vetting against the advice of UK Security Vetting until earlier this week.
“Once the Prime Minister was informed he immediately instructed officials to establish the facts about why the Developed Vetting was granted, in order to enact plans to update the House of Commons.”
This comes after the Guardian revealed Lord Mandelson had been granted developed security clearance despite failing the vetting before he was appointed the UK’s chief diplomat to the US.
Lord Mandelson has declined to comment.
However, a friend of the peer told GB News: “Peter has absolutely no knowledge of this matter. This is the first he has heard of it.
“No one at any level, raised or explored any subject further with him following the vetting interview process and no issue has been raised with him since.”
- about 7 hours agoStrait of Hormuz ‘global responsibility’, Prime Minister will say in Paris tomorrow
- about 10 hours ago‘So obviously bulls**t’ – Conservative adviser rejects claim Keir Starmer knew nothing of Peter Mandelson’s vetting failure
- about 10 hours agoForeign Office ‘working urgently’ to ‘establish the facts’ around Peter Mandelson vetting
- about 11 hours ago‘Why were we kept in the dark?’ – Emily Thornberry’s Foreign Affairs Select Committee to summon Sir Oliver Robbins over vetting
- about 11 hours agoAnonymous Government minister calls for Keir Starmer’s resignation
- about 11 hours agoRachel Reeves denies any knowledge of Peter Mandelson’s vetting process
- about 12 hours agoEXPLAINER: What is developed security vetting?
- about 13 hours agoEd Davey calls for Prime Minister’s resignation if Peter Mandelson revelation true
- about 13 hours ago‘For a mysterious process or person to then decide that it doesn’t matter after all’ – Shadow Secretary for Business criticises alleged Peter Mandelson vetting failure
- about 14 hours agoPICTURED: MPs reaction to Peter Mandelson vetting failure revelation
- about 15 hours agoJohn Swinney pledges no tax hikes and price cap on essential food in SNP manifesto
- about 16 hours agoNigel Farage reveals plan to jail lawyers who help illegal migrants make false gay claims
- about 16 hours agoLiberal Democrat MP slams protests in Epsom as ‘awful’
- about 17 hours agoWATCH: Claire Coutinho reacts after the IMF finds Rachel Reeves is raising taxes at the fastest pace in the developed world
- about 17 hours agoLisa Nandy says Labour may intervene if football fans unfairly denied entry to US
- about 18 hours agoUnion boss calls for Labour to publish Defence Investment Plan
- about 19 hours agoNigel Farage says second independence referendum in Scotland could be ‘quite reasonable’
- about 19 hours agoWes Streeting says NHS is making progress ‘in spite of strikes’
- about 20 hours agoKeir Starmer tells social media bosses ‘things can’t go on like this’
- about 20 hours agoIconic hotel closes doors to asylum seekers as Labour MP hails end of Blackpool’s ‘migration scandal’
- about 21 hours agoTransport Secretary’s car damaged by ‘moon crater’ pothole in latest blow to Britain’s crumbling roads
- about 21 hours agoRachel Reeves announces plans to cut electricity bills for manufacturing firms
- about 22 hours agoSNP on course for majority in Scotland amid mounting calls for second independence referendum
- about 22 hours agoBusiness Secretary says supplies of carbon dioxide are ‘not a concern’ for the UK
- about 22 hours agoReform says at least £135millon has been spent on asylum legal aid
- about 22 hours agoSenior Cabinet minister says Labour’s economic plan is ‘the right one’
- about 22 hours agoHere’s what’s happening in Westminster today
Strait of Hormuz ‘global responsibility’, Prime Minister will say in Paris tomorrow
Sir Keir Starmer is set to co-host a summit of world leaders in Paris on Friday, where he will call the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz a “global responsibility.”
The crucial waterway, through which a fifth of the world’s oil normally flows, has been closed by Iran in response to US and Israeli military strikes. President Donald Trump has since launched his own blockade of Iranian oil ports in retaliation.
Sir Keir will travel to Paris to co-host a virtual meeting alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, with around 40 countries and the International Maritime Organisation expected to participate.
The Prime Minister is expected to say: “The unconditional and immediate reopening of the strait is a global responsibility, and we need to act to get global energy and trade flowing freely again.
“Emmanuel Macron and I are clear in our commitment to establish a multinational initiative to protect freedom of navigation. We must reassure commercial shipping and support mine clearance operations to ensure a return to global stability and security.”
‘So obviously bulls**t’ – Conservative adviser rejects claim Keir Starmer knew nothing of Peter Mandelson’s vetting failure
A Conservative adviser has told GB News that No10’s claim that Sir Keir Starmer was not aware of Lord Peter Mandelson’s security vetting failure is “so obviously bulls**t.”
They said: “Are Downing Street seriously asking us to believe that Olly Robbins, the most proper of proper civil servants, decided not to tell No10 or any minister that Mandelson had failed the vetting until this week?
“It’s so obviously bulls**t, it beggars belief Starmer is trying it as an excuse.”
Foreign Office ‘working urgently’ to ‘establish the facts’ around Peter Mandelson vetting
‘Why were we kept in the dark?’ – Emily Thornberry’s Foreign Affairs Select Committee to summon Sir Oliver Robbins over vetting
The Foreign Affairs Select Committee is planning to summon Sir Oliver Robbins over his previous account on the vetting process of Lord Peter Mandelson, reports the Guardian.
Emily Thornberry, committee chair, said: “Looking at the evidence that was given and the letters that have been written, to be charitable, there are glaring holes. It really is a question of whether we were knowingly misled.”
Ms Thornberry also said on X: “My committee asked several times whether red flags had been raised by Peter Mandelson’s vetting process.
“It seems there were. Who overrode these concerns? Why were we kept in the dark?
“People need to stop messing us about and tell us the truth.”
Anonymous Government minister calls for Keir Starmer’s resignation
An anonymous Government minister has said “we are past apologies” and that the Prime Minister must resign.
Speaking to the Times, a minister said: “This is a tipping point. There can be no more excuses; we’re past apologies and there cannot be another fall person in the form of Olly Robbins [Permanent Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign Office].
“The PM must go.”
Rachel Reeves denies any knowledge of Peter Mandelson’s vetting process
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said she “didn’t know anything about” Peter Mandelson’s vetting process for the post of UK ambassador to the US.
Ms Reeves told reporters in Washington: “I didn’t know anything about the vetting process. I’m the Chancellor, I’m not the foreign secretary, and I’m not 10 Downing Street, so I can’t give you any more information on that.”
EXPLAINER: What is developed security vetting?
Considered one of the most rigorous security checks in the British Government, developed vetting or DV clearance is reserved for those who require frequent, uncontrolled access to top secret material, including codeword intelligence, Category 1 nuclear information and classified material from allied nations and international organisations.
The process involves criminal records check, a credit reference check, a Security Service check, financial and internet questionnaires and a face-to-face interview with a trained Vetting Clearance Officer, during which candidates are questioned on everything from nationality to personal associations.
Describing the interview as “intrusive”, the Governing designed the questions to leave no stone unturned to ensure the person going through the clearance does not pose a security risk or hold any vulnerability that could be exploited.
Sir Keir Starmer has previously said Lord Peter Mandelson “lied” during the ambassador appointment process over his relationship with paedophile financier, Jeffrey Epstein, an allegation the peer denies.
Ed Davey calls for Prime Minister’s resignation if Peter Mandelson revelation true
Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats has called for Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation if he “misled Parliament” over the Peter Mandelson appointment scandal.
He said: “Keir Starmer had already made a catastrophic error of judgment. Now it looks as though he has also misled Parliament and lied to the British public. If that is the case, he must go.
“Labour came into government on a promise to clean up politics. Instead we’re seeing the same old sleaze, scandal and cover-ups as we did under the Conservatives.”
The Green Party also called for Sir Keir to resign.
‘For a mysterious process or person to then decide that it doesn’t matter after all’ – Shadow Secretary for Business criticises alleged Peter Mandelson vetting failure
Andrew Griffith, Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade has taken to social media to express concern over the revelation that Peter Mandelson failed security vetting before being appointed the UK’s ambassador to the US.
He wrote on X: “To fail Developed Vetting (DV) when you are already a Privy Councillor and peer of the realm takes some doing.
“But for a mysterious process or person to then decide that it doesn’t matter after all – in a role which sees some of the most sensitive intelligence on the planet?”
PICTURED: MPs reaction to Peter Mandelson vetting failure revelation
Neil O’Brien, Conservative MP for Harborough, Oadby & Wigston posted on X a transcript of what Keir Starmer has previously said over Peter Mandelson’s appointment as the UK’s chief diplomat to the US.
John Swinney pledges no tax hikes and price cap on essential food in SNP manifesto
John Swinney launching the SNP manifesto
| PA
John Swinney has promised “bold action” on the cost of living as he pledged not to raise taxes in the next parliament and cap the price of essential food.
The First Minister launched the SNP manifesto on Thursday at an event in Glasgow, where he said the price of between 20 and 50 essential items would be capped in large supermarkets if the party is re-elected on May 7.
But the policy could face legal trouble, being open to both a challenge from retailers and blocked by the UK Government under the Internal Market Act.
GB News understands SNP ministers would be willing to take the battle to court against supermarket giants.
Westminster blocking the policy could prove politically difficult for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who would face accusations from the SNP of increasing people’s bills.
Nigel Farage reveals plan to jail lawyers who help illegal migrants make false gay claims
Nigel Farage unveiled the plan following the investigation | PAReform UK has unveiled proposals to imprison lawyers who assist illegal migrants in fabricating claims about their sexuality to secure asylum in Britain.
Nigel Farage’s party announced plans to classify the facilitation of fraudulent asylum applications as a “strict liability” criminal offence, which would carry a maximum sentence of two years behind bars.
Under this approach, prosecutors would not need to demonstrate that lawyers acted with deliberate intent when helping clients deceive immigration authorities.
The proposed legislation would align the treatment of immigration fraud with existing rules governing financial misconduct, where legal professionals and accountants already face criminal liability for enabling tax evasion or bribery.
Liberal Democrat MP slams protests in Epsom as ‘awful’
The Liberal Democrat MP for Epsom and Ewell has described protests in the town centre on Wednesday as “awful”.
A woman reported being raped outside a church in the Surrey town on Saturday night.
Speaking during a service at Epsom Methodist Church on Thursday, Helen Maguire, said: “I’m attending this incredibly important event here today after the tragic incident that happened on Saturday at night.
“Unfortunately, we have had some awful protests that happened last night as well, which seem to have fanned flame of division, completely unnecessarily, but at the moment, we really need to be talking about women’s safety.”
WATCH: Claire Coutinho reacts after the IMF finds Rachel Reeves is raising taxes at the fastest pace in the developed world
Lisa Nandy says Labour may intervene if football fans unfairly denied entry to US
Lisa Nandy has said the Department for Culture, Media and Sport could intervene if football fans are turned away from the US this summer because of their social media posts.
The Culture Secretary y promised she would personally make sure that the Government is “involved to ensure that fans are not deterred from being able to participate” in the World Cup, which is being hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada.
Speaking in the Commons, Independent MP for Leicester South Shockat Adam said: “I’m deeply concerned at the number of British citizens that have already been impacted by Ice (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) detentions, the threat of visa restrictions for international teams, amid lots of illegal wars started by the Fifa peace prize winner (Donald Trump), ironically.
“Now that we learn that UK nationals may be required to surrender five years of personal social media data simply to obtain entry into the United States.
“Can I ask the minister to tell us urgently what she’s doing to ensure that British fans can travel to America safely, enjoy the game safely, and get back home safely?”
Ms Nandy told Mr Adam she was “more than happy to look into” the issue and “make sure that everybody has the opportunity to go and participate in what should be a really positive and global sporting event”.
Union boss calls for Labour to publish Defence Investment Plan
Sharon Graham, the general secretary of Unite previously said it is ‘inevitable’ that Sir Keir Starmer will be replaced as Prime Minister
| PAOne of Britain’s biggest trade unions is ramping up pressure on Labour to publish its eagerly awaited Defence Investment Plan (DIP) to safeguard jobs and retain skilled workers.
Unite, which represents workers in the defence industry, said the war in Iran and its impact on trade, has exposed the UK’s armed forces as inadequate to deal with global challenges.
Delays to the plan are causing defence and aerospace companies to consider their UK operations, putting jobs at risk, warned Unite.
General secretary Sharon Graham said: “The Government’s failure to produce the DIP is a threat to national security as well as to jobs and skills.
“It is becoming more apparent by the day that our armed forces are overstretched and under-equipped to deal with the global challenges we face.
“Our defence workers should be treated as a strategic national asset and, when the much-delayed defence investment plan is finally agreed, the money must be spent in the UK.
“Failing to preserve and protect the skills and experience of these workers would mean throwing away vital know-how for defence projects.
“The Government must now ensure that contracts for a new tranche of Typhoon fast jets, the Skynet satellite and the A400M transport plane are signed off and production lines in Britain get rolling as soon as possible.”
Nigel Farage says second independence referendum in Scotland could be ‘quite reasonable’
Nigel Farage has suggested a second independence referendum would be “quite reasonable” if the issue becomes “relevant” in future.
While saying his party is opposed to the “dissolution” of the UK, the Reform UK leader said he cannot predict how people will feel about independence in 20 years’ time.
He also claimed there are certain types of SNP voters who could be swayed to back Reform.
Ahead of the Scottish Parliament election on May 7, polls currently suggest Reform could be vying to become the second-largest party at Holyrood.
Speaking to The Scotsman while in Glasgow, Mr Farage said Reform is “totally opposed to a dissolution”, and he does not think independence is an issue for voters at this election.
He said: “We believe in the United Kingdom. We think it’d (independence) be bad for both parties.
“But look, we were told in Scotland in 2014, and the whole country was told in 2016, that these referendums were once-in-a-generation, and we just stick to that.”
Wes Streeting says NHS is making progress ‘in spite of strikes’
Wes Streeting has reacted to the recent NHS figures
| GETTYThe NHS is making progress “in spite of strikes”, Wes Streeting has said.
Speaking to LBC, the Health Secretary suggested the NHS could have hit its waiting list target of 65 per cent of patients seen within 18 weeks early if resident doctor strikes had not taken place.
He said: “If we hadn’t had those strikes, I’d probably be sat here on the basis of the published numbers saying we’ve done it a bit early.
“I suspect that when I’m back, when the data comes out, I will either be saying, ‘We’ve just hit it, what a miracle, given the strikes’, or ‘I would have hit it, but for those strikes’.
“Which, I think, captures really my frustration about where we are with the resident doctor strikes, because we are making progress in spite of strikes, we could be making more progress more quickly.”
Keir Starmer tells social media bosses ‘things can’t go on like this’
Sir Keir Starmer has told social media bosses that “things can’t go on like this” as he hauled them into Downing Street to talk about the risks children face online.
The Prime Minister told the tech bosses: “Things can’t go on like this, they must change because right now social media is putting our children at risk.
“In a world in which children are protected, even if that means access is restricted, that is preferable to a world where harm is the price of participation.”
The Prime Minister added: “I am determined we will build a better future for our children, and look forward to working with you on this. I do think this can be done. I think the question is not whether it is done, the question is how it is done.”
Among those who gathered inside Downing Street were Wifredo Fernandez of X, Alistair Law of TikTok, Markus Reinisch of Meta, and Kate Alessi of Google.
Iconic hotel closes doors to asylum seekers as Labour MP hails end of Blackpool’s ‘migration scandal’
An iconic Blackpool hotel has closed its doors to asylum seekers as part of Labour’s push to house small boat migrants at alternative accommodation sites, GB News can exclusively reveal.
The Metropole Hotel, a Lancashire landmark that first opened in 1785, was repurposed to house hundreds of asylum seekers in 2021.
Local MP Chris Webb today confirmed the hotel will start welcoming tourists again, with a July deadline set for asylum seekers to leave.
Speaking to GB News, Mr Webb said that those currently housed at the Metropole Hotel will have a managed transition into more “appropriate asylum accommodation.”
Transport Secretary’s car damaged by ‘moon crater’ pothole in latest blow to Britain’s crumbling roads
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander was left stranded after her car was wrecked by what she described as a “moon crater” pothole in Oxfordshire.
The Cabinet minister’s green Mini Cooper was left undriveable after hitting the crater on the B4437 near Burford late at night, as she returned from a Labour fundraising event last month.
Images showed the damaged vehicle being loaded onto an AA recovery truck following the incident.
Ms Alexander later joked the pothole was comparable to one spotted in space, telling The Sun: “I thought that the astronauts on Artemis II might have seen a similar-size crater when they were slingshotting around the Moon last week.”
Rachel Reeves announces plans to cut electricity bills for manufacturing firms
Rachel Reeves is heading to Washington for IMF talks
| REUTERS
Rachel Reeves has expanded plans to cut electricity bills for thousands of UK manufacturing firms as she continues talks in Washington focused on the economic fallout from the Iran conflict.
The Chancellor, who is in Washington for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) spring meetings, said the plan will help UK businesses compete and create jobs despite the uncertain economic backdrop.
During her trip, she has stepped up criticism of US-Israeli military action in Iran, saying war was a “mistake” and has not made the world a safer place.
Her comments came as she was due to meet US treasury secretary Scott Bessent, who has referred to the impact of the war as “short-term volatility for long-term gain” which he said would prevent Tehran developing a nuclear weapon.
Ms Reeves also cautioned against knee-jerk responses to the cost-of-living crisis triggered by the war in a joint statement with international counterparts at the IMF.
In a bid to help businesses hit by rising costs, a plan announced last summer to cut electricity bills by up to 25 per cent for more than 7,000 UK businesses will be expanded to cover 10,000 firms.
The British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS) will cut costs by up to £40 per megawatt-hour from 2027 by exempting businesses from certain extra charges that currently support green energy and back-up power supply systems.
An additional one-off payment in 2027 will be given to an extra 3,000 businesses, including companies in the automotive, aerospace, steel and pharmaceuticals sectors.
The Government said it will also cover the support firms would have received if the BICS had been in place from this month. The scheme is expected to be worth up to £600million per year from next April.
SNP on course for majority in Scotland amid mounting calls for second independence referendum
The Scottish National Party is on course to sweep Scotland according to a new poll, as calls for a second independence referendum grow.
John Swinney’s party is projected to win 67 seats in the Scottish Parliament, a survey by The Telegraph has found.
The result is one the First Minister said would give him a mandate to negotiate with Westminster on a second vote.
The poll also points to a two-way battle for second place between Labour and Reform UK, with the Conservatives trailing in fourth.
Business Secretary says supplies of carbon dioxide are ‘not a concern’ for the UK
Peter Kyle on GB News this morning
| GB NEWS
Business Secretary Peter Kyle says Labour has “un-mothballed” a company to assist with the British production of CO2, as he said supplies are “not a concern” for the UK.
Mr Kyle told GB News: “What you saw released, there was a leak of contingency plans that we have been making since the very beginning of this conflict.
“Now, if we go back to six months ago, when I was appointed to this job with business and trade, I decided to mothball a company in the north east of England that nobody had ever heard of because it produced as its byproduct, CO2.
“Then in the first few days after the conflict began in the Middle East, back in the beginning of March, I un-mothballed it and it resumed production.
“I can reassure people that as of this week, that facility is up to full production. We are producing CO2 to the degree where we can supply more than 50 per cent of Britain’s need.”
Reform says at least £135millon has been spent on asylum legal aid
Reform UK has claimed at least £135million of taxpayer money has been spent on asylum legal aid between 2018 and 2023.
It follows the BBC investigation that focused on migrants from Pakistan and Bangladesh whose student, work or tourist visas had expired and then sought to claim asylum.
When asked about the report on Wednesday, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “Any attempt to misuse protections designed for people fleeing genuine persecution because of their sexuality is deplorable.
“Those trying to defraud the British people to enter or remain in the UK will have their asylum claim cancelled, support cut off and find themselves on a one-way flight out of Britain.
“Where unethical and illegal practices are identified and evidence exists, the team will refer legal practitioners to the relevant regulatory body or to the police.
“The asylum system is built on robust safeguards so every claim is rigorous and fairly assessed, abuse is actively uncovered and these procedures are continually reviewed to shut down misuse.”
Senior Cabinet minister says Labour’s economic plan is ‘the right one’
Chief Secretary to the Treasury has said Labour’s plan is the “right one” as he reacted to the latest Office for National Statistics figures suggesting the economy has grown by 0.5 per cent.
James Murray said: “Growth only happens when the economy is on solid ground. That’s why in a changing world our plan to restore stability, boost investment and deliver reform is the right one to build a more stronger more resilient Britain.
“At the IMF meetings in Washington, the Chancellor has set out how we will go further and faster to boost Britain’s competitiveness and build a stronger, more resilient economy, keeping costs down for families and businesses and taking back control of our energy costs as today we cut bills by up to 25 per cent for 10,000 British businesses.”
Here’s what’s happening in Westminster today
Good morning and welcome to the Politics Live blog. Here’s what’s happening today in Westminister and beyond…
Rachel Reeves is in Washington today for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) spring meetings, as the Chancellor has stepped up criticism of US-Israeli military action in Iran, saying war was a “mistake” and has not made the world a safer place.
We’ve just been joined by Business Secretary Peter Kyle, who explained the “leak of contingency plans”, as he addressed reports that CO2 supplies could fall to just 18 per cent of current levels, triggering major disruption across the food industry.
Also, the latest Office for National Statistics figures have just dropped revealing the UK economy grew by 0.5 per cent in February. Our personal finance correspondent Temi Laleye has the full write up here.
Closer to home, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has accused the SNP of being “completely obsessed with tearing our country apart”.
John Swinney’s party, which is launching their manifesto later today, hitting back saying the “Tories have absolutely nothing to offer the people of Scotland.”
Sir Keir Starmer will summon social media bosses to Downing Street as the Prime Minister weighs up new restrictions to protect children. Our reporter Peter Stevens has the full story here.
We’ll be joined by Reform’s Home Affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf later this morning as well as his Liberal Democrat counterpart Max Wilkinson.
