Mandelson scandal LIVE: Senior official faces questions over vetting as pressure builds on Starmer

NewsPoliticsPoliticsLIVEUpdated 5 mins agoMandelson scandal LIVE: Senior official faces questions over vetting as pressure builds on StarmerCat Little, the most senior Cabinet Office official, is appearing before the Foreign Affairs Committee to discuss the process of how the disgraced peer got clearanceCat Little faces questions about the process of vetting Lord Mandelson(Image: James Manning/PA Wire)CommentsNewsAlexander Brown Assistant Political EditorA senior civil servant faces questions about Lord Peter Mandelson’s vetting process, as pressure grows on Keir Starmer over the appointment.Cat Little, the most senior Cabinet Office official, is appearing before the Foreign Affairs Committee to discuss the process of how the disgraced peer got clearance.The PM sacked Sir Olly Robbins last week after discovering he had not been informed that the Foreign Office had sent Lord Mandelson to Washington despite security officials raising concerns about his vetting.But the top mandarin insisted on Tuesday he was right not to pass the information on and accused No10 of a "dismissive" attitude to vetting, and claimed pressure had been put on his department to fast-track the appointment. New UpdatesToday09:19 BSTLabour MP declines to back Keir StarmerLast night Labour MP Dan Carden declined to back the PM.Asked if he had confidence in Keir Starmer, he said: “He’ll take us into the local elections and that will be a moment where the public have been consulted & there’ll be results.”CommentsAlexander BrownToday09:16 BSTCat Little told PM officials warned against Mandelson appointmentCat Little last week told the Prime Minister that Lord Mandelson had been granted high-level security clearance despite vetting officials recommending against it. Ms Little had known since March about sensitive information linked to Lord Mandelson’s vetting.Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service and Permanent Secretary to the Cabinet Office Catherine Little CBCommentsAlexander B...