"Barton stated there was absolutely pressure on the FCDO to get Mandelson to Washington as quickly as possible, distinguishing between pressure to grant vetting and pressure to expedite the process. He noted that Number 10 was uninterested in the vetting process itself, focusing instead on the pace of Mandelson's arrival, ideally before the inauguration."
"McSweeney admitted that appointing Mandelson was a serious error of judgment, stating, 'I advised the prime minister in support of that appointment and I was wrong to do so.' He clarified that his relationship with Mandelson had been deeply misrepresented, as they had barely met until 2017."
There was significant pressure on the FCDO to expedite Mandelson's appointment as ambassador to Washington, ideally before the inauguration. Number 10 focused on the speed of the process rather than the vetting itself. McSweeney stated he never inquired about the vetting progress and emphasized that he would not have accepted any shortcuts in the process. He acknowledged that appointing Mandelson was a serious error of judgment and clarified that their relationship had been misrepresented, as they had only met a few times before 2017.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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