Podcast: Pressure on Starmer over Mandelson appointment

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is under renewed pressure over what he knew, and when, about the failed security vetting of Peter Mandelson.

He is facing allegations he misled parliament after telling MPs the proper process had been followed in appointing Mr Mandelson to the post of UK ambassador to the US.

It later emerged that Mr Mandelson had failed the security vetting but Mr Starmer says he was not aware of that until last week.

Professor of Politics at the University of Liverpool, Jon Tonge, told Behind the Story he believes there are still questions to be answered.

"There is evidence that people within the senior civil service, people very close to Keir Starmer - people who would almost certainly have told Keir Starmer - that they were in possession of the outcome of this," he said.

"I think you've just got to think about the common sense of this that, for such a key appointment, why wouldn’t Keir Starmer check on the outcome of the vetting process?

"I think the answer comes loud and clear: he didn’t want [to] know the answer, because it might have told him something that he didn’t really want to hear."

Will Starmer stay?

Prof Tonge said he is not sure people are convinced from Mr Starmer’s statement to the House of Commons.

"I think Keir Starmer will remain as prime minister for the foreseeable future," he said.

"But I don’t think he convinced anyone, including his own Labour backbenchers this afternoon because - frankly - he admitted publicly to the House of Commons that what he was saying was, in one sense, incredible.

"The House of Commons burst out laughing when he said that."

'A rushed appointment’

Prof Tonge said it is important to factor in the context when Mr Mandelson’s appointment was announced back in December 2024.

"Starmer was desperate to put someone in place quickly to deal with the American administration," he said.

"But it [was] a rushed appointment."

Prof Tonge said he believes Mr Starmer is still in place because finding a successor is problematic.

"I don’t think Keir Starmer would still be prime minister and leader of the Labour Party if it were not for the fact that the Labour Party itself cannot coalesce around a successor to him," he said.

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