Starmer on the record, in full view of the media, on 5th February:
“There was then… security vetting carried out independently by the security services, which is an intensive exercise … that gave [Mandelson] clearance for the role.”
A day earlier, Badenoch asked him in the Commons if “the security vetting he received mention[ed] Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein“. Starmer said it did. So he saw the DV vetting prior to Mandelson’s appointment, referred to specific parts within it at the despatch box in February, yet only found out Mandelson had failed that vetting on Tuesday. Nonsense…
Lucy Powell on LBC, asked by Tom Swarbrick for her reaction to Labour MP Samantha Niblett’s call for a ‘summer of sex’ debate in Parliament: “I personally don’t own any sex toys, but each to their own… I’m not really sure that’s the right place for it, no.”