Former Foreign Office chief Sir Philip Barton said Sir Keir Starmer knew the risks over Lord Peter Mandelson’s association with Jeffrey Epstein.
Sir Keir Starmer’s assertion that “full due process” was followed in Lord Peter Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to the US has not been backed by the former top official at the Foreign Office.
The Prime Minister faces a possible parliamentary sleaze inquiry over claims he misled MPs over the process which led to Lord Mandelson taking the Washington job.
Former Foreign Office mandarin Sir Philip Barton declined to agree with the Prime Minister’s assessment of the process, told MPs that it was unusual for the peer’s appointment to be announced before security vetting had been completed and said Sir Keir knew of the risks over Lord Mandelson’s relationship with “toxic, hot potato” Jeffrey Epstein.
Sir Philip told the Commons’ Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC) that there was an “uninterested” attitude towards getting Lord Mandelson high-level security clearance for the role.
And he suggested there was pressure to “get on with” approving the peer for developed vetting (DV).
The FAC also heard from Sir Keir’s former chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, who insisted he did not “ask officials to ignore procedures, request that steps should be skipped, or communicate explicitly or implicitly that checks should be cleared at all costs” during the appointment of Lord Mandelson.
