Starmer faces fresh Mandelson storm amid claims he FAILED security vetting for US ambassador - but officials were overruled

By JAMES TAPSFIELD, UK POLITICAL EDITOR Published: 15:40, 16 April 2026 | Updated: 15:54, 16 April 2026 Keir Starmer is facing a fresh Mandelson storm today amid claims the peer failed security vetting before becoming US ambassador. The New Labour architect is said to have been initially denied developed vetting clearance in January 2025 - weeks after the PM had officially announced his appointment. However, according to the Guardian the Foreign Office deployed a rarely-used power to override the recommendation from security officials. The fact that Mandelson did not get signed off has not previously been revealed, despite the Government being forced by MPs to release of a batch of documents about the process. Sir Keir previously insisted that Lord Mandelson was given 'clearance for the role'.  Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said: 'Last September, Keir Starmer told Parliament three times that 'full due process' was followed over the appointment of Lord Mandelson.  'We now know the Prime Minister misled the House. The Prime Minister must take responsibility.'  Lord Mandelson is said to have been initially denied clearance in January 2025 - weeks after the PM had officially announced his appointment  Keir Starmer is facing a fresh Mandelson storm today amid claims the peer failed security vetting before becoming US ambassador Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said Sir Keir 'misled the House' over Mandelson's vetting process A three-page 'due diligence' report supplied to Sir Keir on December 11, 2024 flagged the ties between Mandelson and Epstein The claims risk reviving the furore that already came close to exploding Sir Keir's premiership in February. Labour MPs have been up in arms that Lord Mandelson was given the key job despite long-standing ties to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The Guardian cited multiple sources for the claim, and it is not known whether the PM knew his pick for ambassador granted approval by the UKSV agency.  It is also not clear who in the Foreign Office made the apparent decision to overrule UKSV.  Olly Robbins is believed to have been the permanent secretary at the time, while Deputy PM David Lammy was Foreign Secretary.     It previously emerged that Sir Keir did not speak to Mandelson personally before appointing him as US ambassador. The PM is said to have left his aides to ask the New Labour architect questions about his long-standing ties to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. That was despite being presented with evidence that their friendship had continued after the financier was jailed, and warnings from senior officials.   1999 The year that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor said he first met Jeffrey Epstein, introduced by Ghislaine Maxwell. He visited Epstein's private island in February. 2002 An article in New York Magazine said Lord Mandelson attended a party at Epstein's Manhattan home alongside Donald Trump. First emails in the Epstein files between Mandelson and Epstein begin, when he wrote a memo encouraging Tony Blair to meet Epstein. 2003 Mandelson wrote a message to Epstein describing him as his 'best pal'. Bank statements appear to show that from 2003 to 2004 Epstein paid £54,750 into accounts of which Mandelson was believed to be a beneficiary. 2006 As police in Florida suggest Epstein should be charged with four counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor, Lord Mandelson tells him: 'I am here whenever you need.' 2008 Epstein is sentenced to 18 months in prison. Mandelson urges him in an email to 'fight for early release'. 2009 Mandelson stays at Epstein's Manhattan apartment while the paedophile is in jail, an internal report by JP Morgan bank suggests. Epstein is released in July. Two months later, he sent Mandelson's now husband Reinaldo Avila da Silva £10,000. On June 13 the files suggest Mandelson leaked Epstein a sensitive No10 document proposing £20billion of asset sales and revealed Labour's tax policy plans. 2010 Files suggest Mandelson forwarded minutes of a meeting between chancellor Alistair Darling and US treasury secretary Larry Summers five minutes after he received them. On May 9, he appears to give Epstein notice of a €500billion euro bailout by the EU. 2013 The last known time that Mandelson visited Epstein at his New York mansion. 2016 Documents show Mandelson remained in contact with Epstein until at least 2016. 2019 Epstein, arrested on sex trafficking charges, is found dead in his cell. In November, Andrew gives his Newsnight interview. 2022 Maxwell is jailed for 20 years in February after being convicted for her role in helping to lure and groom underage girls for Epstein to abuse. 2025 In February, Keir Starmer appoints Mandelson as the UK's ambassador to the United States. He is sacked in September. 2026 - Mandelson is arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He has denied wrongdoing. It comes after he resigned from the House of Lords and was booted out of the Privy Council.  The comments below have been moderated in advance. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. 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