{"id":320240,"date":"2026-04-17T18:11:18","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T12:41:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/?p=320240"},"modified":"2026-04-17T18:11:18","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T12:41:18","slug":"u-k-s-starmer-faces-calls-to-quit-over-mandelson-security-vet-heres-why-national","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/2026\/04\/17\/u-k-s-starmer-faces-calls-to-quit-over-mandelson-security-vet-heres-why-national\/","title":{"rendered":"U.K.\u2019s Starmer faces calls to quit over Mandelson security vet. Here\u2019s why – National"},"content":{"rendered":"

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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing renewed calls to resign over his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the U.S. after the federal government said he failed security vetting and was still allowed to take up the job.<\/p>\n

Mandelson, 72, was fired from probably the most prestigious posting in Britain\u2019s diplomatic service in September, when the depth of his friendship with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein began to turn into clear.<\/p>\n

The brand new information that Mandelson initially failed the vetting, but was still given the role, increases the political pressure on Starmer, whose defense rests on the assertion that he was not told in regards to the vetting failure until this week.<\/p>\n

The leaders of the important opposition political parties have called for Starmer to resign, accusing him of misleading the general public and parliament by suggesting that Mandelson had passed vetting.<\/p>\n

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If Starmer was found to have knowingly, or recklessly, misled parliament, he would have broken the code that governs ministers\u2019 behavior and can be expected to resign, in keeping with government rules.<\/p>\n

Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, has said a parliamentary committee should investigate if Starmer made misleading statements to lawmakers.<\/p>\n

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson was forced to resign in 2022 partly due to months of embarrassing headlines about illicit parties held in government buildings \u200bin the course of the COVID pandemic and accusations he misled parliament.<\/p>\n

Amber Rudd, Britain\u2019s then-interior minister, resigned in 2018 after she said she had inadvertently misled parliament about government targets for deporting individuals who were allegedly living in Britain illegally.<\/p>\n

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Starmer said on Friday it was \u201cstaggering\u201d that he had not been told Mandelson had failed his security vetting.<\/p>\n

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The prime minister said he would make an announcement to parliament on Monday to make clear what he knew in regards to the vetting and answer questions from lawmakers.<\/p>\n

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The foreign secretary said in September that the vetting of potential ambassadors is carried out independently of ministers, who \u201cshould not informed of any findings apart from the ultimate consequence.\u201d<\/p>\n

A letter from the Foreign Office in January last yr offering Mandelson the job as ambassador, and released by parliament last month, suggested that Mandelson had passed the safety vetting.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour security clearance has been confirmed by Vetting Unit and is valid until 29 January 2030,\u201d the letter said.<\/p>\n

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