On top of the already-conducted reviews by Chris Wormald, the ongoing Humble Address collection effort, and so on. Another review…
“I have asked the government security group in the Cabinet Office to look at any security concerns raised during Peter Mandelson’s tenure.”
Asked about why Mandelson received high-level STRAP clearance for access to the most sensitive material, he said:
“I have ordered a review of any national security issues arising in relation to what I found out last tuesday and I will obviously update the house when that review is complete.”
Revolving door…
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…
Labour sources are bullish on Starmer’s chances after this first round showdown with Olly Robbins. He’s fighting for survival…
Starmer: “This statement will focus on the process surrounding Peter Mandelson’s vetting and appointment at the heart of this was a decision I made which was wrong. I apologise again to the victims of Epstein who were failed by my decision.”
PM claims that the usual process is for UKSV vetting happen after a political appointment is announced and adds: “I simply do not accept that foreign office officials could not have told me of UKSV’s recommendations.”
Starmer says former Cabinet Secretary Chris Wormald wasn’t made aware of the failed vetting either when he conducted an investigation into the Mandelson saga in September.
Blame is crystallising on Starmer ahead of his Commons statement on the Mandelson vetting situation. No10 is trying to blame sacked FCDO chief Olly Robbins, former senior civil servants are having none of it…
Former Cabinet Secretary Robin Butler told Times Radio this afternoon:
“The vetting process is highly confidential because it goes into all sorts of personal matter. If he had told the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary of the adverse security advice, they would have had to consider revoking the appointments on the grounds that it was a security risk… The problem was that the decision to appoint Peter Mandelson and the announcement and the clearance with the King had all taken place in advance of the vetting before knowing what the vetting procedure would throw out.”
Starmer was advised to vet first before announcing a political appointment…
Former FCDO longtimer and friend of Robbins Tom Fletcher said this morning: “This is a guy who has public service and integrity stitched into his DNA in a way I haven’t seen with any other single individual and I’ve worked with so many people inside government” and added he “had an utterly rough few days… he’s a pretty strong kind of character but I think he’s heartbroken.” Some regret over Robbins’ sacking may be building up in No10…
Another former Cabinet Secretary Gus O’Donnell said Starmer “now faces one of the worst crises in relations between ministers and mandarins of modern times. The dismissal of Sir Olly risks having a serious and sustained chilling effect on serving and prospective civil servants.” Former Deputy CabSec Helen MacNamara: “I have known Robbins for years and I certainly would not have chosen to fight him on his home territory of the operation of the constitution, national security, integrity and the appropriate role of the civil service and ministers.”
Gone are the days when Starmer could simply write a nice letter to Whitehall’s civil servants after slagging them off in public. Starmer presiding over the slow-moving collapse of the relations that govern the British state…
At the briefing of political journalists in Downing Street just now Starmer’s spokesman said the PM would never “knowingly” mislead the Commons. Heard that line before…
He said:
“The prime minister would never knowingly mislead Parliament or the public. He’s clear, though, that this information should have been provided to Parliament. It should have been provided to him, it should have been provided to other government ministers… But he clearly did not have this information – that is the crucial fact – he clearly did not have this information when he previously spoke to Parliament… he initiated a process to establish the facts that he could come to the house… as soon as the PM was informed of this information he had a meeting at which he commissioned a fact-finding exercise.”
Downing Street is also claiming Starmer couldn’t have informed the Commons on Wednesday about the Mandelson vetting situation because the “fact-finding exercise” was underway and he is today in a position to “provide the house with the fullest update.” The ‘exercise’ also sought to find out “how that information [the failed vetting] had not been provided in months since”…
No10 is on the back foot in its defence of Starmer’s position. The PM had the opportunity once again to be transparent – he did not take it…
The House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee has confirmed it will see Olly Robbins at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow. Sacked Robbins is planning to fight…
Friends of his say “heartbroken” Robbins is seeking legal advice on his being sacked in a panic by No10 last week. His additional testimony tomorrow could blow a hole in Starmer’s cobweb of excuses to be laid out in the Commons this afternoon…
Speaking at his speech on how to achieve “progressive capitalism” Wes Streeting fired a dig and Andy Burnham:
“Bond markets are not bond villains and fiscal rules matter.”