A top Whitehall official has appeared to defend Sir Keir Starmer's insistence that due process was followed in the appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson as US ambassador. Cat Little, the Cabinet Office's chief operating officer, told MPs that bureaucratic procedures around security and vetting were adhered to by the Prime Minister's team.
Key Testimony on Security Vetting
Little said that former Foreign Office chief Sir Olly Robbins could have shared details of Mandelson's security vetting with the Prime Minister. She contested claims that the Cabinet Office had attempted to stop the process. However, she also stated it was up to Robbins to personally decide whether a crucial summary document, which recommended against Mandelson's appointment, could be shared with Starmer.
Contradicting Robbins' Account
During the committee session, Little appeared to contradict parts of Robbins' account. Robbins had suggested he was denied access to UK Security Vetting (UKSV) documents. Little said the Foreign Office was granted access to a key summary document in September. Robbins also indicated he was unable to share information on procedural and legal grounds.
Starmer sacked Robbins after he said he was “staggered” not to be told about a recommendation that Mandelson had not been cleared by security officials. Little took legal advice on the document and waited three weeks before informing Starmer.
Due Process Defense
“My view is that due process was followed,” Little told MPs. “The process is that UKSV makes a recommendation and the Foreign Office makes a decision as to whether to grant developed vetting. That is the process agreed with the Foreign Office.” However, she later suggested Robbins should have decided whether to show the Prime Minister the vetting decision.
Political Fallout
Starmer faces intense questions from ministers, Labour MPs, and opposition parties over his leadership and the Mandelson appointment. Some Cabinet ministers anonymously expressed loss of confidence. One told the i Paper the mood was “bleak.” A loyal minister told The Daily Telegraph that the “wheels had stopped turning.”
The Cabinet meeting on Tuesday featured warnings from Rachel Reeves, Shabana Mahmood, and Wes Streeting that sacking Robbins risked undermining relations between ministers and the civil service. The Tories have considered referring Starmer to a committee investigating whether parliament was misled.
A Financial Times report added questions over who knew what when, as Mandelson's link with Epstein was reportedly reviewed by the National Crime Agency before his 2024 appointment.
