Starmer furious after security failure in Mandelson US appointment

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Friday he was "furious" after it emerged that his sacked US ambassador Peter Mandelson was appointed in 2024 despite failing security vetting, as the scandal threatens his grip on power. Starmer claimed he and other ministers were never informed that Mandelson had failed the vetting process, calling this "unforgivable" and saying he will address Parliament on Monday with full transparency. The embattled prime minister, who has faced repeated calls to resign, appointed Mandelson as Britain's top diplomat in Washington despite the envoy's longstanding ties to late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and later sacked him in September after just seven months in the post. The British government has blamed Foreign Office officials for allowing Mandelson's appointment to proceed against the recommendation of UK Security Vetting, with the ministry's top civil servant Olly Robbins ousted late Thursday. Starmer said he had "lost confidence" in Robbins over the botched process, and Parliament's main foreign affairs watchdog committee has requested Robbins give evidence about the issue next Tuesday. The ambassador to Washington is considered Britain's most prestigious diplomatic post, responsible for maintaining the "special relationship" with the United States. Police have opened an investigation into allegations of misconduct in office by Mandelson, who was arrested and released on bail in February. The Metropolitan Police is investigating claims he leaked sensitive documents to Epstein when he was a government minister, including during the 2008 financial crash. Mandelson has not been charged and denies criminal wrongdoing. The controversy has intensified calls for Starmer to resign, with all major opposition party leaders urging him to quit. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch wrote that "Starmer has betrayed our national security. He should go." Earlier this year, two of Starmer's top political aides resigned over the scandal, and the government has suspended rules allowing the Foreign Office to override security vetting decisions.