When Keir Starmer was elected Britain’s Prime Minister nearly two years ago, his promise to a public weary of political scandals and turmoil was that his government would be different.
Yet the furor over Starmer’s decision to appoint Peter Mandelson – whose close ties to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein would be detailed in files released by the US Department of Justice – as Britain’s ambassador to the United States is once again threatening to engulf his premiership.
Now, he faces a crucial week navigating the latest fallout from the scandal, after it emerged on Thursday that Mandelson had failed in-depth security vetting conducted before his appointment in early 2025. Citing multiple sources, the Guardian reported that officials at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office then used a rare authority to override that recommendation, since Starmer had already announced Mandelson’s appointment.
Starmer insists he was unaware of the failed vetting, telling reporters on Friday he was “absolutely furious” he had not been told.
In an attempt to quell the scandal, Downing Street effectively fired the Foreign Office’s top official, civil servant Olly Robbins, while briefing media that his department had not informed Starmer of Mandelson having failed the security vetting.
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