Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing growing political pressure, including explicit demands for his resignation from all opposition leaders.
That comes following revelations that Peter Mandelson failed developed vetting for the role of UK Ambassador to the US but was appointed after the Foreign Office overruled security officials’ recommendations.
Despite an initial refusal by the responsible services, which was politically overruled in order to install him as ambassador in the US, Mandelson was granted the highest form of security clearance, giving him access to top secret government material.
The government confirmed yesterday that Olly Robbins, the Foreign Office’s permanent secretary, will leave his post after ministers lost confidence in him over the handling of the affair.
Downing Street described Starmer as “absolutely furious” for being kept in the dark and said the Prime Minister had immediately suspended the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s (FCDO) authority to overrule security-vetting recommendations.
According to the government, until a couple of days ago, neither Starmer or any minister was aware that UK Security Vetting (UKSV) had recommended denying Mandelson clearance.
A formal statement issued yesterday said the decision to grant developed vetting “against the recommendation of UK Security Vetting was taken by officials in the FCDO”.
At a November 2025, session in the Foreign Affairs Committee in parliament, Robbins told MPs in reply on the FCDO’s view on the recommendation for the posting that: “It was clear that the Prime Minister wanted to make this appointment himself” and that the FCDO was informed by this and acted upon it via the Foreign Secretary.
The Mandelson case was thrown in the spotlight again after an investigation by newspaper The Guardian yesterday found that Mandelson was initially denied clearance on or around January 28, 2025 after a developed vetting process.
By that stage he had already been announced as Starmer’s pick for ambassador in Washington.
Within 48 hours the FCDO exercised its rarely used power to override the recommendation and Mandelson was informed his clearance had been confirmed by January 30.
It is not known who made the decision to overrule security officials, or why, The Guardian reported.
Mandelson took up the post in February 2025 and was removed in September 2025 after scrutiny of his relationship with the late convicted sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein intensified.
Starmer’s public statements from February 2025, in which he described the vetting as having granted Mandelson “clearance for the role”, are now under intensive renewed examination.
At the time, the government told parliament that developed vetting had been granted by the FCDO, which now turns out to be untrue.
In March, documents were published showing that the PM was warned of Mandelson’s “particularly close” relationship with Epstein, something that could cost “general reputational risk”.
Starmer on 5 Feb: "There was… security vetting carried out independently by the security services, which is an intensive exercise that gave him clearance for the role, and you have to go through that before you take up the post." https://t.co/YdNK0jC9jy pic.twitter.com/wzHWBpLCIw
— Greg Heffer (@GregHeffer) April 16, 2026
Opposition parties are putting the political responsibility for the situation on the UK prime minister and calling for him to resign.
Reform leader Niger Farage said the PM “should resign” because he “blatantly lied” about the security clearance for Mandelson.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch stated that Starmer is “definitely in resigning territory” if he misled parliament.
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said Starmer “must go” if it emerges he was aware of or involved in the override.
The Green Party leader for England and Wales, Zack Polanski, has called for Starmer to resign. “Any other outcome would be an absurd scenario where this Labour Government – and all in it – would be laughing in our faces.”
Calls for a Commons privileges committee inquiry into whether the PM misled MPs have also grown.
Tom Harris, a former Labour PM who left the party in protest of anti-Semitism under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, wrote in an op-ed in newspaper The Telegraph that “the Mandelson controversy has metamorphosed into a crisis entirely thanks to his [Starmer] own poor judgements”.
Harris said if Starmer cannot produce reasonable and convincing answers to the many questions raised, “He will have no option but to resign.”
Downing Street is trying to contain the damage.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones said the Prime Minister instructed officials “immediately” to establish the full facts and update the House of Commons.
The government has also signalled it will not block the release of relevant documents to the Intelligence and Security Committee, although internal discussions about the scope of disclosure were reported earlier this week.
Critics say there were many red flags around Mandelson, who also served as Trade Commissioner for the European Union between 2004 and 2008.
He had clear links to China, Russia and the notorious paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, together with a long history of alleged conflicts of interests and financial scandals.
When the US Department of Justice released the Epstein files late last year, the full extent and intensity of Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein — including contacts that continued long after Epstein’s conviction for child sex trafficking — were exposed, along with fresh allegations of corruption.
The revelations forced Mandelson’s resignation as UK Ambassador to the US.
Starmer has left for France to address a “global responsibility” to open the Strait of Hormuz.
They call him the Prince of Darkness for a reason. Mandelson returns—Epstein ties, scandals, yachts and all.
Watch the full episode👇 pic.twitter.com/PuZQ4b1kz8
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) September 20, 2025
