The British Prime Minister’s office reportedly claims that officials within the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office withheld critical information about former ambassador Peter Mandelson.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer suggests his own government failed to inform him that Mandelson received security clearance despite concerns raised during the vetting process, including concerns tied to his security vetting and alleged connections involving Jeffrey Epstein, according to SkyNews’ Political EditorBeth Rigby.
Officials now say neither Starmer nor Foreign Secretary David Lammy knew that Mandelson’s clearance allegedly went against the recommendation of U.K. security vetting authorities.
NEW: Anger in No 10 tonight – am told by a source that neither the PM nor his advisors were told, over a series of months, that Mandelson had been granted security clearance against the recommendation of UK security vetting. That suggests this information was held in foreign…
— Beth Rigby (@BethRigby)April 16, 2026
The scrutiny was toward senior civil servants inside the Foreign Office—particularly Olly Robbins, the department’s top official.
Rigby posted that Starmer had already been asking internal questions about the vetting process in recent days, especially after The Guardianreportedthe story.
Despite those inquiries, officials allegedly failed to disclose that Mandelson’s clearance had been granted despite objections from vetting authorities.
Understand PM will come to HoC on Monday to give statement. He will need to correct the record given that he has given parliament incorrect information.
FCDO spox tonite: “PM has initiated a process to establish the facts of the granting of developed vetting and we are working…https://t.co/GPMnL1MPWk
Source: VidNews » Feed
