Starmer: Mandelson vetting faced ‘everyday pressure’, not pressure to clear

London — In a fresh clash over the vetting of Lord Mandelson, Keir Starmer has defended his colleague's decision to sack the former Foreign Office chief and framed the issue as a matter of routine political pressure rather than unusual interference.

Starmer, speaking as the opposition leader, argued that the checks were tainted neither by fear nor by attempts to bypass security, and he drew a distinction between the everyday pressure of governing and a pressure that would push decisions against the security vetting element.

The prime minister has insisted that he would not have appointed Mandelson as the diplomat to Washington had Robbins disclosed the vetting outcome. Robbins previously described an atmosphere of pressure and 'constant chasing' from Downing Street during the vetting process. In Parliament and in interviews, the PM has said there was no pressure to clear Mandelson beyond the standard demands of government.

The controversy stems from Mandelson's sacking months after his appointment over links to Jeffrey Epstein and the later police inquiry into possible leaks of sensitive government documents when he was business secretary. Officials say UK Security Vetting advised the denial of clearance, a detail the PM said was only learned last Tuesday evening by him and his ministers, after which the government proceeded with the dismissal.

Starmer sought to distinguish between pressure that speeds up routine tasks and pressure that would compromise vetting. He told The Sunday Times that Robbins was clear in his understanding that such pressure did not apply. He also argued that the vetting agency's role should be insulated from political manipulation, emphasizing the need for accountability in how sensitive checks are handled.

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