A Conservative MP has launched a petition calling for Sir Keir Starmer to be “sacked,” further escalating political pressure on the Government over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador to the United States.
Stuart Andrew, the MP for Daventry, set up the petition on his personal website, alleging that the Prime Minister “appears to have lied to the country” about the handling of Mandelson’s security vetting.
The controversy centres on claims that the Foreign Office overruled an initial security vetting decision that reportedly blocked Mandelson’s clearance for the diplomatic role. Questions have also been raised about whether Parliament was fully and accurately informed about the process.
Andrew said on Talk TV: “Looking at this extraordinary Guardian story that the Prime Minister lied to the country and to parliament repeatedly about the appointment of the most important diplomat that this country can put in place because he said that security vetting had given, and I quote, ‘clearance for the role.’”
The petition calls on Labour MPs to trigger a vote of no confidence in their party leader, arguing that defeat would effectively end Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership.
On Friday Starmer said it is “unforgivable” he was not informed that Mandelson failed his security vetting for the job of being the US ambassador.
Starmer said he is “absolutely furious” and it is “staggering” he was not told by the Foreign Office.
Starmer who is now in Paris said: “That I wasn’t told that Peter Mandelson had failed security vetting when he was appointed is staggering.
“That I wasn’t told that he had failed security vetting when I was telling Parliament that due process had been followed is unforgivable.
“Not only was I not told, no minister was told, and I’m absolutely furious about that.”
The row has intensified following accusations by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch that the Prime Minister may have breached the ministerial code by failing to correct the parliamentary record promptly after making inaccurate statements.
Badenoch told the BBC: “Let’s pretend that they only just found out about this, the ministerial code says that if you find out that you have told Parliament something that isn’t true, and you told Parliament inadvertently, you need to tell the House at the earliest opportunity.
“The earliest opportunity was Wednesday, during Prime Minister’s Questions, why didn’t he tell anyone that?
“If it is true that they only just found out, they had an opportunity to say so, and they did not. That itself is a resignation offence.”
Separately, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has dismissed claims that the Prime Minister was unaware of Mandelson’s failed vetting as “not credible,” fuelling further political divisions over the handling of the appointment.
Farage told LBC: “Just not credible, not believable in any way at all. I am in absolutely no doubt in my mind that this Prime Minister misled the House of Commons and lied to the country outside of the House of Commons.”
He added: “None of this adds up, the idea they weren’t told about the vetting. Remember, in the House of Commons, Starmer actually said that the vetting had told him about the ongoing relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, then outside of the House, in Hastings, he gave a speech in which he said that Mandelson had cleared security vetting.
“They are all over the place on this, it is totally unbelievable and Robbins, he’s the sacrificial lamb in an attempt to try and save the Prime Minister, and it just isn’t good enough.”
The Government has not confirmed the allegations, and Downing Street has yet to provide a detailed response to the petition. However, the affair is expected to intensify scrutiny of ministerial decision-making and the processes governing senior diplomatic appointments.
Sir Olly Robbins, the Foreign Office permanent under-secretary, is also reported to have been removed from his post amid the fallout, though the circumstances of his departure have not been formally clarified by ministers.
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