Scotland Secretary Douglas Alexander has taken the morning round ahead of Starmer’s Commons statement at 3:30 p.m. Alexander argued that the public announcement of Mandelson’s appointment happening prior to the security vetting process was the fault of “previous governments.” Questioned on by Sophy Ridge on Sky News he said:
“So the process by which a political appointee can be appointed as an ambassador was one that we inherited from previous governments. In that process, appointments could be made ahead of developed vetting vetting status being undertaken… there was an established process that process in retrospect was inadequate and that’s why already even before the events of the last few days the government has moved to change that process to make sure that vetting precedes appointment so you’re right to recognise that was a flawed process.”
Labour’s move to bring security vetting forward after the last Mandelson blow-up also contradicts Starmer’s claim not to have known there was any problem with Mandelson’s vetting specifically until last week. We are reaching levels of ‘blame the Tories’ never previously thought possible…
Douglas Alexander – a friend of Starmer’s – was asked on Sky News if the PM will be in post at the next election. He wasn’t so sure himself:
“I think he will. There are no certainties but of course I think he will lead and I think he should because, frankly, on the biggest call in this parliament he’s exercised the right judgment, which is to keep us out of someone else’s war.”