Keir Starmer accused of scapegoating officials over Peter Mandelson scandal

{"text":[[{"start":null,"text":"

"}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":11.6,"text":"Sir Keir Starmer has fended off calls for him to quit by claiming he was “deliberately” kept in the dark in the Peter Mandelson vetting affair, but the silence and sullen faces of Labour MPs in the House of Commons confirmed that he remains in serious political danger."}],[{"start":27.5,"text":"During a chastening two-and-a-half hour session, Starmer was accused of weak leadership, scapegoating officials and wilful ignorance over Mandelson’s vetting failure ahead of his appointment as UK ambassador to Washington."}],[{"start":40.7,"text":"While most Labour MPs believe Starmer’s position as prime minister is not at immediate risk, the Mandelson scandal is sapping his authority, with more damage expected in the coming days. "}],[{"start":51.75,"text":"Sir Olly Robbins, sacked by Starmer as head of the Foreign Office last week over the vetting affair, will give his version of events to MPs on Tuesday morning, in what will make for tense viewing in Number 10. Robbins is seeking legal advice over his removal."}],[{"start":67.45,"text":"Starmer will also have to release thousands of documents related to Mandelson’s appointment in the near future, in a move which is likely to add to the prime minister’s discomfort. "}],[{"start":76.35000000000001,"text":"Meanwhile Angela Rayner, former deputy prime minister and seen as a Labour leadership rival, will on Tuesday call for “bolder action” from the government in a speech that will increase pressure on Starmer. "}],[{"start":89.10000000000001,"text":"Most Labour MPs are despairing about the latest damage caused by Mandelson’s appointment, but there is little appetite for a leadership coup against him ahead of elections to the Scottish and Welsh parliaments, and councils in England, on May 7."}],[{"start":104.45,"text":"“This has just made everyone more pissed off,” said one senior cabinet member. “But the party isn’t ready to move against Keir at the moment.” "}],[{"start":112.55,"text":"Starmer insisted on Monday he had been “deliberately” and repeatedly kept in the dark by the Foreign Office over Mandelson’s failure of a vetting check. He said this had been “absolutely unforgivable”."}],[{"start":124,"text":"MPs listened in stunned silence to Starmer’s account of a massive security failure at the heart of the British state, in which he took responsibility for the ill-fated appointment of Mandelson."}],[{"start":135.8,"text":"But MPs broke into mocking laughter when the prime minister said: “I know many members of this House will find these facts to be incredible. To that, I can only say that they are right.” "}],[{"start":147.35000000000002,"text":"Starmer was subject to withering criticism about his handling of the affair and his attempt to cast the blame on Foreign Office civil servants and an alleged cover-up."}],[{"start":155.95000000000002,"text":"Kemi Badenoch, Conservative leader, said the prime minister had “thrown his staff and officials under the bus”. She said Starmer had failed to ask more questions about Mandelson because he “didn’t want to know”."}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":170.70000000000002,"text":"Sir Ed Davey, Liberal Democrat leader, said Starmer had made a “catastrophic error of judgment” and should resign."}],[{"start":178.60000000000002,"text":"Mandelson was appointed Britain’s ambassador to the US in December 2024 by Starmer, who believed the Labour grandee’s political nous and business experience would be invaluable in dealing with Donald Trump."}],[{"start":192.8,"text":"At the start of his statement Starmer said: “At the heart of this, there is also a judgment I made that was wrong. I should not have appointed Peter Mandelson. "}],[{"start":201.70000000000002,"text":"“I take responsibility for that decision and I apologise again to the victims of the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, who were clearly failed by my decision.” Starmer sacked Mandelson last September over his links to Epstein."}],[{"start":215.65,"text":"The prime minister doubled down on his criticism of Robbins, claiming senior Foreign Office officials tried to conceal the vetting failure from him and from parliament."}],[{"start":225.45000000000002,"text":"“A deliberate decision was taken to withhold that material,” Starmer claimed. “There was not a lack of asking. This wasn’t an oversight. It was a decision. It was a decision taken not to share that information on repeated occasions.” "}],[{"start":240.00000000000003,"text":"Earlier it emerged Starmer ignored advice in November 2024 that any political appointee for the job of ambassador to the US should undergo national security vetting before being formally appointed, government documents suggested."}],[{"start":254.35000000000002,"text":"Papers published by the Cabinet Office last month include a letter from the then head of the civil service, Lord Simon Case, on November 11 2024, setting out the process before the appointment. "}],[{"start":267.20000000000005,"text":"Case’s note said: “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.”"}],[{"start":284.95000000000005,"text":"Starmer told MPs it was usual for political appointees to big public jobs to undergo vetting after they had been proposed for the job, but added the government had now ended that practice."}],[{"start":303.9000000000001,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1776760718_1883.mp3"}