MPs to hold emergency debate on accountability relating to Mandelson appointment

MPs will have the opportunity to scrutinise the Government’s accountability in relation to the appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson as US ambassador in an emergency debate on Tuesday.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said it is “a matter of national security because the Prime Minister has admitted appointing a known serious security risk to our most sensitive diplomatic post”, as she made an application under standing order 24.

It comes after Sir Keir Starmer blamed former top civil servant Sir Olly Robbins for deliberately keeping him in the dark over Lord Mandelson’s failure to pass security vetting checks before taking the role.

The Prime Minister said he would not have appointed Lord Mandelson if he had known the peer had failed the checks and insisted there was no pressure from No 10 to push through the high-profile appointment.

Sir Keir fired Sir Olly from his role as the Foreign Office’s top official after finding out last week that Lord Mandelson had been granted security clearance despite failing the checks.

The Prime Minister faced accusations of lying to MPs by failing to set out the full picture around how Lord Mandelson was granted developed vetting (DV) status.

But in a statement on Monday, he denied misleading the Commons when he told MPs that the proper process was followed.