5 Excruciating Moments As MPs Grill Starmer Over Peter Mandelson |
5 Excruciating Moments As MPs Grill Starmer Over Peter Mandelson
MPs cornered the prime minister over his decision to appoint the ex-Labour peer as ambassador to the US.
Political Correspondent
Keir Starmer was met with ridicule and disbelief from MPs while fielding their questions over why he ever decided to appoint Peter Mandelson to be an ambassador for the US.
It emerged last week that the ex-Labour peer failed security vetting without the prime minister’s knowledge, and was still given the top job in Washington days later.
Starmer sacked Olly Robbins, the top civil servant in the Foreign Office, granting Mandelson clearance without informing them.
Though Mandelson was sacked in September when the depth of his friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein was revealed, the saga continues to cast a shadow of Downing Street.
Questions swirl over the prime minister’s judgement and apparent lack of authority within his own government.
Here’s how the prime minister’s attempt to address the scrutiny head on went down with MPs...
1. Laughter During Starmer’s Opening Statement
The prime minister tried to preempt the frustration from MPs over Mandelson – and his vetting – by admitting that “many members across the House will find these facts to be incredible”.
Starmer was instantly interrupted with a wave of laughter from the opposition benches which seemed to even take the prime minister by surprise.
“To that, I can only say they are right,” the PM ploughed on, despite the noise. “It beggars belief that throughout the whole timeline of events, officials in the Foreign Office saw fit to withhold this information from the most senior ministers in our system in government.”
🚨 WATCH: MPs laugh as Keir Starmer says he knows they will find the "facts" on Peter Mandelson's vetting "to be incredible" pic.twitter.com/SeCoPCesI0— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK)........