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UK's Starmer Says He and Ministers Not Told Mandelson Failed Clearance in January 2025
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on April 20, 2026
1 min readLast updated: April 20, 2026
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UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on April 20 that he and other ministers were not informed that former US ambassador Peter Mandelson had failed security clearance in January 2025—a decision overruled by the Foreign Office. Starmer called the oversight “unforgivable” and reiterated his apology to
Starmer Says Ministers Not Told of Mandelson Clearance Override in Jan 2025
Prime Minister Starmer Addresses Mandelson Security Clearance Controversy
LONDON, April 20 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday foreign office officials did not inform him, or any ministers, that they had granted security clearance to former U.S. ambassador Peter Mandelson against the vetting agency's recommendation in January 2025.
Details of Security Clearance Decision
Foreign Office Actions
Starmer apologised again to victims of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and said Mandelson should never have been appointed as the UK's ambassador to the U.S., adding that his judgment was wrong.
Starmer's Apology and Reflections
Reporting Credits
(Reporting by Muvija M and William James, writing by Sam Tabahriti)
Key Takeaways
- •Peter Mandelson failed the developed security vetting in January 2025, but Foreign Office officials overruled the recommendation to deny clearance (theguardian.com).
- •Neither Starmer nor any ministers were informed of the failed vetting decision at the time; he described it as “staggering” and “unforgivable” (theguardian.com).
- •Starmer dismissed the Foreign Office’s top civil servant in response and pledged full transparency and updates to Parliament (apnews.com).
References
- Revealed: Mandelson failed vetting but Foreign Office overruled decision | Peter Mandelson | The Guardian
- Starmer says it is ‘staggering’ and ‘unforgivable’ he was not told Mandelson failed vetting – as it happened | Politics | The Guardian
- Starmer faces calls to resign as UK government admits ambassador to US failed vetting process
Frequently Asked Questions about UK's Starmer says he and ministers not told Mandelson failed clearance in January 2025
1Did Keir Starmer know about Mandelson's failed security clearance?
Keir Starmer stated that neither he nor any ministers were informed by officials about the security clearance issue with Mandelson.
2Who made the decision to grant Mandelson security clearance?
Foreign office officials granted Peter Mandelson security clearance against a recommendation from the vetting agency.
3Why is Mandelson's appointment controversial?
Mandelson was appointed as ambassador despite security vetting concerns and past connections to Jeffrey Epstein.
4What did Starmer say regarding victims of Jeffrey Epstein?
Starmer apologized again to Epstein's victims and acknowledged that Mandelson should not have been appointed.
