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Starmer's ex-top aide McSweeney says he made 'serious mistake' advising PM to appoint Mandelson
McSweeney said he was wrong to back the appointment and denied pressuring officials to bypass vetting as MPs weighed a Privileges Committee referral.
- On Tuesday, former chief of staff Morgan McSweeney testified to the Foreign Affairs Committee, admitting his advice to appoint Lord Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador was a "serious error of judgment."
- Mandelson's December 2024 appointment triggered scrutiny after vetting officials flagged his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein as a "reputational risk," contradicting government claims that "full due process" was followed.
- Senior civil servants Sir Philip Barton and Sir Olly Robbins testified Downing Street was "uninterested" in vetting details, with officials reporting pressure to deliver a "rapid outcome" for Mandelson's clearance.
- MPs will vote today on referring Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to the Privileges Committee over allegations he misled Parliament, a move the government dismissed as a "political stunt."
- With local elections approaching on May 7, the referral threatens Starmer's authority, echoing the 2022 inquiry that ended Boris Johnson's premiership while Labour whips urge backbenchers to "stand together.
49 Articles
49 Articles
Morgan McSweeney’s inside job
In February, after Morgan McSweeney was forced to resign in the wake of the Mandelson-Epstein scandal, effusive tributes began pouring into a WhatsApp group for Downing Street staff. “There wouldn’t be a Labour government without you Morgan”, messaged one colleague. “Thank you for not only being a leader of this team and a confidante for so many of us”, said another emotional staffer, “but for everything you did over so many years to bring the p…
Starmer's Former Chief of Staff Brands Peter Mandelson's Appointment a 'Serious Error of Judgement' During High Stakes Commons Inquiry
Speaking to MPs on the Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC) on Tuesday Kier Starmer's former Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney said that his recommendation to the PM to appoint Peter Mandelson was a 'serious error of judgement.' 'Like a Knife Through My Soul' Speaking to the committee, McSweeney said: 'I resigned because I believe responsibility should rest with those who make serious mistakes. Accountability in public life cannot apply only when it is…
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