The UK Security Vetting body recommended against giving Lord Mandelson developed vetting clearance, but the Foreign Office overruled this and granted him the highest level of security clearance so he could take up the role in Washington. Starmer, who announced Mandelson's appointment the previous month, said it was staggering that former Foreign Office chief Sir Olly Robbins did not inform him or other ministers about the recommendation. He claimed he had been deliberately kept in the dark.
Political backlash ensued, with Kemi Badenoch accusing Starmer of throwing Sir Olly Robbins under a bus. Badenoch said it was extraordinary that Starmer was so lacking in curiosity that he chose to ask no questions about the vetting process, Mandelson's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, or the security risk. In Parliament, Starmer was drowned out by jeers and laughter and faced tough questions from MPs on all sides.
Starmer defended his position, saying Sir Olly Robbins had multiple opportunities to raise the matter but did not, including when the Prime Minister was insisting that full due process was followed. He added that it beggars belief that officials withheld this information from senior ministers. However, Starmer refused to say why Lord Mandelson had failed security vetting, leaving unanswered questions about the specific issues with his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and the full timeline of the vetting process.