Kemi Badenoch has called on Sir Keir Starmer to resign, accusing him of failing to take responsibility following fresh allegations surrounding the appointment of Lord Mandelson as UK ambassador to the United States.
Closing a tense exchange in the House of Commons, the Conservative leader urged the Prime Minister to “take responsibility and go”, escalating pressure on the government over the handling of the appointment process.
Badenoch told MPs in the Commons: “Mr Speaker, I cannot accuse the Prime Minister of deliberately misleading the House, but everyone can see what’s happened here.
This was not due process, and everyone knows the price of misleading the House.
“Will the Prime Minister, finally, take responsibility and go?”
Starmer replied: “The Leader of the Opposition claimed on Friday that Mandelson could not have been cleared on security advice. She was wrong about that.
She said ministers must have been told. She was wrong about that.
“She claimed there was deliberate dishonesty. She was wrong about that.”
Sir Keir added: “Mr Speaker, I was elected by the British people because they [the Tories] let the country down for 14 years.
“Whatever she says, whatever noise they make, nothing is going to distract me for delivering for our country.”
Her remarks came amid ongoing political fallout from revelations about the vetting and approval process for Lord Peter Mandelson, which have fuelled accusations of poor judgment and procedural failings at the heart of government.
The intervention marks a sharp intensification of opposition attacks, with the Conservatives seeking to turn the controversy into a wider question of leadership and accountability at the top of government.
Downing Street has continued to defend the process, insisting that proper procedures were followed and rejecting claims of systemic failure or political interference.
However, opposition figures have seized on the issue as evidence of deeper problems within No 10, with Badenoch’s call for resignation representing one of the most direct challenges yet to Sir Keir’s authority since taking office.
The Prime Minister did not respond directly to the demand for resignation during the session, as the debate over the appointment continues to dominate Westminster.
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