Arabic version: بادنوك تتهم ستارمر بتضليل البرلمان بشأن فحص مانديليسون

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has accused Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer of misleading the House of Commons regarding Lord Mandelson’s security vetting for the role of US ambassador. According to BBC News, a report from The Guardian indicated that the Foreign Office overruled a negative vetting decision to allow Mandelson to assume the post.

Mandelson was previously sacked as ambassador due to his connections with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Following the report, Reform UK and the Green Party have called for Starmer’s resignation, while the Liberal Democrats stated that if the Prime Minister lied to the public, he must step down.

During a Prime Minister’s Questions session on 10 September 2025, Starmer asserted that “full due process” had been followed in Mandelson’s appointment. However, Badenoch pointed out that if Mandelson failed the vetting, this would contradict Starmer’s claims. She emphasized that misleading Parliament is a serious offense under the Ministerial Code.

Badenoch further claimed that the Prime Minister had broken ministerial rules by stating that Mandelson had been given security clearance. The Guardian report did not clarify whether Starmer was informed about the failed vetting or who in the Foreign Office made the decision to override it.

The government has been approached for comment, and documents related to the vetting process are expected to be released. Badenoch labeled the situation a “cover-up,” asserting that if Starmer withheld documents from Parliament, he should resign. Lord Mandelson was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office on 23 February 2025, though he maintains he acted without criminal intent.