United Kingdom

Mandelson case, Starmer apologises in Parliament

Starmer began by apologising "for a wrong decision" and admitted an "error in judgement", assuring that "if I had known then what I know now I would never have appointed Mandelson"

by Nicol Degli Innocenti

20 April 2026

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

LONDON - Keir Starmer under fire: the British prime minister explained in Parliament at Westminster how it was possible that the appointment of Peter Mandelson to the prestigious role of ambassador to Washington went ahead despite the fact that the former Labour minister had failed to pass the usual checks and was considered a national security risk.

Starmer began by apologising "for a wrong decision" and admitted an "error in judgement", assuring that "if I had known then what I know now I would never have named Mandelson".

The premier's defence

The PM then went on the defensive and stated that no one had ever informed him of the matter. He never named Sir Oliver Robbins, the highest-ranking official in the Foreign Office, who was sacked on the spot last week when the revelations emerged, but blamed the Foreign Office. The PM reiterated that he was "furious" at the Foreign Office's "inexcusable" decision to approve Mandelson's appointment while ignoring the UK Security Vetting verdict.

Over the weekend, several supporters of Robbins, who has the reputation of being a loyal and unimpeachable servant of the state, made it known that the official is equally furious, believes he has been 'sacrificed' as a scapegoat to save Starmer, and is contemplating suing the government for dismissal without cause. Robbins has been summoned to Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee tomorrow and will give his side of the story.

Starmer: la nomina di Mandelson un errore, mi assumo responsabilità

Downing Street in a highly unusual move has made it known that no law or rule prevents officials from reporting problems or potential risks reported during security checks, even if they do not disclose confidential information and personal details. As in: Robbins cannot justify himself by invoking rules that understandably require that confidential information arising from security procedures remain so.

Accusations from the opposition

The opposition parties, who have been calling for Starmer's resignation for days, were waiting for the premier to resign today and asked him numerous questions. Accused by the Tory leader of being at best 'negligent', the premier denied that he had not taken all the necessary steps to know the truth. "I asked repeatedly, I asked questions but I was never told the truth," he insisted.

It therefore appears, from what he said today, that Starmer did not lie to Parliament when he stated several times in recent months with absolute certainty that all procedures had been scrupulously followed and that Mandelson had passed all the required tests.

It remains to be seen why the Foreign Office, according to the PM's version of events, would stubbornly conceal the truth - that Mandelson had been 'rejected' because he was considered a national security risk - not only from Starmer but also from all his ministers and staff. 'No one in Downing Street was informed,' Starmer assured Parliament today. There is therefore much anticipation for Robbins' statements tomorrow.

Appointment in December 2024

What is certain is that Starmer had announced Mandelson's appointment in December 2024, without waiting for the outcome of the security checks, because he was convinced that the former EU Trade Commissioner was the best person to bamboozle President Donald Trump and negotiate a lucrative trade treaty with the United States. That is why he ignored all the alarm bells and warnings from numerous experts and advisers. The appointment already looked dangerous, as Mandelson's close friendship with Jeffrey Epstein was well known, and had continued even after the American financier's first conviction for paedophilia and exploitation of child prostitution.

Having arrived in Washington in February 2025, Mandelson was then fired by Starmer last September following new revelations in the Epstein Files. The Labour Party veteran was then arrested by the Metropolitan Police and remains under investigation because during the financial crisis in 2009, when he was deputy prime minister, he had passed confidential and market-sensitive information to Epstein.

Caso Epstein, rilasciato su cauzione l’ex ambasciatore Peter Mandelson

According to several sources that cannot be confirmed for confidentiality reasons, Mandelson had been 'rejected' by UK Security Vetting not because of his links to Epstein but because of his proximity to China and Russia. In fact, he was a director of a Russian company with close ties to the Kremlin, and Global Counsel, the consulting firm he founded after leaving politics, had at least three Chinese clients, companies close to the Beijing regime, and Mandelson was considered a proponent of closer and friendlier relations between the UK and China.