Keir Starmer dealt recent blow as key determine in Mandelson vetting row offers brutal verdict | Politics | News | EUROtoday

A key determine within the Lord Mandelson vetting row has mentioned he felt beneath stress from No 10 over the previous Labour grandee’s safety checks. Foreign Office official Ian Collard mentioned he “felt pressure to deliver a rapid outcome” to the previous Labour grandee’s clearance for the US ambassador position.

But this didn’t affect his skilled judgement, the division mentioned in a letter to the Foreign Affairs Committee. It comes as Sir Keir Starmer faces intense scrutiny after it emerged Lord Mandelson was appointed to the plum Washington job regardless of failing safety checks.

The Prime Minister has been accused of deceptive MPs by saying that “full due process” was adopted.

The Foreign Office, beneath then prime civil servant Sir Olly Robbins, cleared the peer regardless of purple flags being raised.

Sir Keir has additionally confronted questions for telling MPs that “no pressure existed whatsoever in relation to this case”.

Sir Olly, who was sacked by the PM for not disclosing the safety considerations to ministers, advised MPs on the Foreign Affairs Committee final week that “my office and the Foreign Secretary’s office were under constant pressure” concerning the appointment in January 2025.

Sir Keir advised The Sunday Times he was not speaking concerning the “everyday pressure of government” however the suggestion of particular stress on Sir Olly to grant Lord Mandelson’s developed vetting standing.

He added: “[Sir Olly] was actually clear in his thoughts that wasn’t stress that was placed on him. And he additionally goes on to say that none of this impacted his resolution.”

Meanwhile, the Foreign Affairs Committee is because of hear from Sir Keir’s former chief of employees, Morgan McSweeney, who resigned in February amid the furore.