"The prime minister had many angry words for the Foreign Office, the department that authorised Lord Mandelson's clearance despite the vetting concerns from security officials. He said the department's officials should have informed him at the time - and then missed 'repeated occasions' afterwards to make him aware."
"The repeated failure to divulge the result of Lord Mandelson's vetting process was 'incredible', 'staggering' and 'astonishing', the prime minister said. He went further, saying there had also been a 'deliberate decision' to withhold information about the vetting process from MPs who had previously conducted an inquiry into Lord Mandelson's sacking."
"Sir Keir said he accepted that information gathered during this process - including from two interviews held with Lord Mandelson - should not be divulged. But he added that, in his opinion, there was no reason why the overall vetting recommendation could not have been shared with him."
Sir Keir Starmer defended his actions regarding Lord Mandelson's appointment as ambassador to the US, which followed security clearance granted against official recommendations. Mandelson was sacked seven months later due to connections with Jeffrey Epstein. The prime minister criticized the Foreign Office for failing to inform him about the vetting concerns, describing the oversight as 'incredible' and 'staggering.' Starmer acknowledged the confidentiality of the vetting process but argued that the overall recommendation could have been shared, highlighting a disagreement with former civil servant Sir Olly Robbins.
Read at www.bbc.com
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