We know Mandelson was given developed vetting (even though it now emerges he had failed) on 6th January 2025. He was pictured in the street with a DV level pass with that issue date. What has transpired since then?
On 11 September 2025 The Independent’s Political Editor asked Downing Street to comment on claims Mandelson had failed DV. The answer: “vetting done by FCDO in the normal way”…
On 4th February 2026 Starmer appeared at PMQs. Asked whether Mandelson’s “security vetting” contained Esptein allegations, he answered “yes it did“…
The next day, on 5th February 2026, Starmer gave a speech in Hastings where he said: “there was then… security vetting… which gave him clearance for the role“.
Now No10 maintains Starmer only found out Mandelson had failed DV this Tuesday (14th April). No10 claims Starmer ordered an investigation into the issue that day.
But Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper’s team maintains she wasn’t told until The Guardian newspaper ran the story yesterday (16th April).
The long and the short of this timeline is that it simply doesn’t add up. Starmer repeatedly commented in public and in the Commons about Mandelson’s DV. His then Director of Comms failed to deny that Mandelson had in fact failed his DV. The question of Mandelson’s vetting was clearly a live issue in government months prior to this week…
It is simply implausible that Starmer did not know or at least suspect Mandelson’s DV was a problem. Thinnest possible ice…
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.”