Image by Aidan Dancey
By Aidan Dancey
The Prime Minister is under a magnifying glass over the revelation that Peter Mandelson initially failed security vetting for the role of US ambassador, The Government are placing blame on officials in the Foreign Office while Labour MP’s look to back the PM in a vote to quash the calls for an inquiry.
Peter Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador was highly controversial from the offset due to Mandelson’s alleged connection with Jeffery Epstein, which continued after the convicted paedophile’s 2008 conviction. While he was questioned over this at the time of his appointment, further details only came to light when the Epstein Files were released.
The Prime Minister acknowledged his error in appointing Mandelson, telling the BBC Newscast: “Sorry for having believed Mandelson’s lies and appointed him.”
But new details came to light last Week that Peter Mandelson had failed vetting for security clearance, which was overruled by the Foreign Office, clearing Lord Mandelson for the job. This revelation immediately placed pressure on the Prime Minister, due to the implication that he could have misled parliament, which would have been a break in the Ministerial code, an untenable position which would have forced his resignation.
Instead it was Sir Olly Robbins who faced direct consequences. He was Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign Office until he was let go, being seen as responsible for giving Mandelson clearance. He was giving evidence to MPs on the Foreign Affairs Committee today over the appointment.
He talked about the atmosphere in No.10 around Mandelson’s appointment noticing a “strong expectation” coming from No.10 that Mandelson “needed to be in post and in America as quickly as humanly possible”, something which is denied by Downing Street officials.
Lynn Johnson, 68, a former teacher, feels that the latest scandal is “one of many” while questioning Kier’s leadership. “He isn’t in control, none of them are,” she said.
Tony Daniels, 53 a construction manager, directly questioned Mandelson’s appointment “He was called the Prince of Darkness for a reason.”
By JHFRoss courtesy of Pixabay
Mandelson’s checkered past was something even MPs raised in the Commons on Monday, while questioning the Prime Minister, asking how the PM thought someone who had been forced to resign twice before from government positions was suitable for maintaining the UK’s most important diplomatic relationship.
Leader of the opposition, Kemi Badenoch, commented on X that “It is clear that No10 not only made the appointment before vetting was completed, but that Mandelson was already acting as the Ambassador before the vetting – even seeing highly classified documents” Some say this implied that the Prime Minister has misled parliament.
With local elections looming, the party leading the country will need to somehow steady a ship which is already on the rocks.
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