UK’s Starmer under fire over report Mandelson failed security vetting

United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer is under renewed pressure over UK media reports that former ambassador to Washington Peter Mandelson failed security vetting but was cleared to take on the role by foreign ministry officials.

A government spokesperson denied on Thursday that Starmer had any knowledge of the Foreign Office overriding the security recommendation regarding Mandelson, who was sacked in September after less than a year in the role over his links to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

After UK newspaper The Guardian reported on Thursday that Mandelson had failed vetting, the government spokesperson said that neither Starmer nor any other government ministers had been aware of the decision, adding that the Foreign Office had granted him “developed vetting”.

Citing multiple unnamed sources, the newspaper said the 72-year-old had initially been denied clearance in late January 2025 after a “highly confidential background check by security officials”, but that Starmer had already announced the appointment.

Faced with a “dilemma”, the Foreign Office officials had proceeded to use “a rarely used authority to override the recommendation from security officials”, the newspaper said.

Starmer has apologised for the appointment but insisted due process was followed, accusing Mandelson of creating a “litany of deceit” about his Epstein ties and promising to release documents on how he was appointed.

Opposition leaders accused the prime minister of misleading Parliament and called for his resignation.

Kemi Badenoch, leader of the UK Conservative Party, said Starmer had misled Parliament by saying due process had been followed and that he had wrongly said Mandelson cleared the vetting.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey accused Starmer of 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.”

The Green Party and Reform UK also called for the prime minister to resign.

Starmer sacked Mandelson as ambassador after documents released by a US Congressional committee revealed new details about the depth of his ties to Epstein.

Police have opened an investigation into allegations of misconduct in office by Mandelson, who was arrested and bailed in February.

The force is investigating Mandelson over allegations he leaked sensitive documents to Epstein when he was a government minister, including during the 2008 financial crash.

The scandal over his relationship with Epstein, who died in prison while awaiting trial in 2019 on sex trafficking charges, has already forced the resignation of two senior government officials.