Badenoch asked the following questions – summarised – of Starmer at his statement:
Starmer said in response that no-one in No10 knew about Mandelson’s failed developed vetting:
“Nobody in No10 was informed about UKSV’s recommendation.
Mr. Speaker, just to be clear and for the record, the Cabinet Office Permanent Secretary did receive information recently and then sought the necessary and legal advice. Once those checks were completed by the cabinet office permanent secretary, I was told that is in the last 2 weeks or so that was entirely the right procedure to get the legal advice and then to bring it to my attention at the first opportunity.
It was the right procedure that was followed by my officials in the last few weeks. Mr. Speaker, in relation to why I was furious about the process for the very reason, Mr. Speaker, I strongly believe I should have been given this information at the very outset.
I strongly believe there were repeated times when I should have been told. I should have been told on appointment. I should have been told when Peter Mandelson was sacked. The Cabinet Secretary should have been told when he reviewed the process. The Foreign Secretary should have been told before she was asked to sign a statement to the set committee. And I should have been told when I ordered a review of vetting.”
Ed Davey asked Starmer to address the Simon Case recommendation. The PM responded by saying that Chris Wormald’s review of the entire Mandelson saga confirmed that he was right to have his vetting done post-appointment: “he specifically addressed whether the process had been followed by referencing the Simon Case letter and assured me that the process was the right process to have followed.” Contradictory…
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.”