Full timeline of how Mandelson appointment scandal unfolded as Starmer claims he didn’t ‘mislead’ MPs | EUROtoday

Sir Keir Starmer has denied deceptive Parliament following extraordinary revelations that Lord Peter Mandelson failed safety vetting earlier than his appointment as US ambassador.

The disclosures have sparked recent questions on who knew what, and when, concerning the peer’s controversial Washington posting and its fallout.

Here is the timeline of occasions:

– December 20 2024 – Sir Keir says he’s “delighted” to announce Lord Mandelson, a former New Labour minister and social gathering grandee, as his decide for the UK’s ambassador to the US.

– January 8 2025 – Senior civil servant Sir Olly Robbins is made everlasting secretary on the Foreign Office.

– January 28 2025 – A proper choice to disclaim Lord Mandelson safety clearance is reportedly made by UK Security Vetting (UKSV).

– January 29 2025 – Foreign Office civil servants grant the peer developed vetting clearance regardless of the UKSV suggestion that this needs to be denied, Sir Keir instructed the Commons on Monday.

This allows him to see secret info in his new function.

– February 2025 – Lord Mandelson takes up the appointment and attends a White House welcome reception.

– September 8 2025 – Paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein’s infamous “birthday book”, stuffed with personalised notes from associates when he turned 50, is launched by the US House Oversight Committee.

It features a message from Lord Mandelson referring to the kid intercourse offender as his “best pal”, heightening scrutiny of the UK Government.

– September 10 2025 – The Prime Minister says he has “confidence” within the peer and that “due process was followed” as questions mounted over the extent of the previous Labour grandee’s hyperlinks with Epstein.

Downing Street additionally factors reporters to the “extensive vetting” of Lord Mandelson.

– September 11 2025 – Sir Keir sacks Lord Mandelson after rising strain to take away him from workplace following leaked emails which confirmed the peer despatched supportive messages at the same time as Epstein confronted jail for intercourse offences.

The Foreign Office stated the emails confirmed “the depth and extent of Peter Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein is materially different from that known at the time of his appointment”.

Meanwhile, the Independent on-line newspaper reported that MI6 had not cleared the ex-Labour grandee – claims which it put to No 10.

The paper reported {that a} spokesperson replied: “Vetting done by FCDO in normal way.”

– September 16 2025 – In a joint letter to the Foreign Affairs Committee, Whitehall veteran Sir Olly and Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper say: “Peter Mandelson’s security vetting was conducted to the usual standard set for developed vetting in line with established Cabinet Office policy.”

– November 3 2025 – Sir Olly and former cupboard secretary and profession civil servant Sir Chris Wormald seem earlier than MPs to reply questions in regards to the appointment course of.

Sir Olly tells the Foreign Affairs Committee that “it was clear that the Prime Minister wanted to make this appointment himself.”

“Therefore, I understand, the FCDO was informed of his decision and acted on it, and, via the Foreign Secretary, sought and obtained the King’s approval for the appointment,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Sir Chris stated it was the “normal thing” for safety clearance to occur after appointment however earlier than the individual indicators a contract and takes up the publish.

– February 2 2026 – Sir Keir urges the disgraced peer to give up the Lords after the publication of an extra tranche of the so-called Epstein recordsdata, which result in accusations that Lord Mandelson handed delicate info to Epstein whereas he was enterprise secretary in Gordon Brown’s authorities.

– February 3 2026 – The Metropolitan Police launch an investigation into allegations of misconduct in a public workplace following the accusations in opposition to Lord Mandelson.

– February 4 2026 – The Prime Minister tells the Commons Lord Mandelson “lied repeatedly” in regards to the depth of his friendship with Epstein in the course of the appointment course of.

– February 5 2026 – Sir Keir tells reporters safety vetting carried out by the safety providers “gave him (Lord Mandelson) clearance for the role” amid mounting strain over the extent of what was recognized about his hyperlinks with Epstein.

Sir Keir tells reporters: “There was then, I should add, security vetting carried out independently by the security services, which is an intensive exercise that gave him clearance for the role, and you have to go through that before you take up the post.

“Clearly, both the due diligence and the security vetting need to be looked at again.”

– February 8 2026 – Sir Keir’s chief of employees Morgan McSweeney, a long-time ally of Lord Mandelson, leaves No 10.

In his resignation assertion, he says: “While I did not oversee the due diligence and vetting process, I believe that process must now be fundamentally overhauled.”

– March 11 2026 – The first tranche of paperwork are launched in response to a Commons movement compelling the Government to reveal particulars in regards to the appointment.

They reveal senior officers had considerations in regards to the appointment, with nationwide safety adviser Jonathan Powell believing the method was “weirdly rushed”.

The recordsdata confirmed that Sir Keir was warned of a “general reputational risk” over Lord Mandelson’s hyperlink to Epstein earlier than asserting him as his selection.

Also within the paperwork is a observe dated November 11 2024, through which then-cabinet secretary Lord Simon Case appeared to advise the Prime Minister to rearrange for safety clearances to be achieved “before confirming your choice” for US ambassador if he wished to make a political appointment.

The head of the Civil Service stated: “You should give us the name of the person you would like to appoint and we will develop a plan for them to acquire the necessary security clearances and do due diligence on any potential conflicts of interest or other issues of which you should be aware before confirming your choice.”

– April 16 2026 – The Guardian newspaper studies Lord Mandelson failed the background examine by safety officers however that Foreign Office officers took the uncommon step of overruling the choice.

Sir Olly is sacked and the Government says Sir Keir was not conscious the previous Labour grandee was granted developed vetting in opposition to the recommendation of UK Security Vetting till earlier that week.

– April 17 2026 – Sir Keir says he’s “furious” and that it was “unforgivable” he had not been instructed that UKSV had suggested in opposition to clearance.

– April 20 2026 – In a press release to the Commons, the Prime Minister says a “deliberate decision” was made on “repeated occasions” to not inform him that Lord Mandelson did not go vetting, blaming Foreign Office officers for not passing on the knowledge.

He says he wouldn’t have proceeded with the appointment if he had recognized UKSV had declined to approve the peer, which he stated he solely learnt on Tuesday final week.

Sir Keir additionally stated: “I did not mislead the House of Commons. I accept that information that I should have had, and information that the House should have had should have been before the House, but I did not mislead the House, and that’s why I’ve set out the account in full.”

– April 21 2026 – Sir Olly will give his account to MPs when he seems earlier than the Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday.