No.10 Admits Starmer Did Not Speak Directly To Mandelson Before Appointing Him As US Ambassador

Downing Street has admitted that Keir Starmer did not speak to Peter Mandelson directly before appointing him to be US ambassador.

The prime minister is facing intense scrutiny over the decision to give the former Labour peer such a senior role, despite his well-known friendship with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.  

The Times reported overnight that Starmer delegated the vetting of Mandelson to two personal friends of the peer.

The prime minister was also warned by his national security adviser Jonathan Powell that the vetting process seemed “weirdly rushed”, while the head of the Foreign Office Sir Philip Barton also raised concerns.

When asked by reporters if it’s true the prime minister did not speak to Mandelson directly before giving him the job, Starmer’s spokesperson said: “The full process at the time of the appointment was followed.

“There is no requirement for a formal interview with the prime minister as part of that process.

“The prime minister received advice on options surrounding the appointment, as well as due diligence advice in the usual way.

“As you know the due diligence noted public reporting on Peter Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.

“Questions were then put to Mandelson by advisers in No.10.”

The representative added: “Peter Mandelson responded, but it’s clear that there are lessons to be learnt from this and shortcomings in that process have been highlighted.”

He said: “A number of reforms have been brought in and the prime minister is determined to see those through.”

Pressed over why Starmer did not interview Mandelson, he said: “The full process that was in place at the time was followed.

“You’ve heard from the prime minister yesterday when he reiterated his apology to the victims of Jeffrey Epstein for appointing Peter Mandelson.”

Starmer said on Thursday: “It was my mistake and I take responsibility in relation to it.”

Asked if the prime minister’s former chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, was involved in interviewing Mandelson, the spokesperson said: “Im not going to comment ahead of any future releases and clearly there’s also some document which we have alluded to already which are part of the police investigation.”

The Times reported that Starmer instructed McSweeney, a personal friend to Mandelson, to ask him just three questions about his connections to Epstein.

McSweeney allegedly did not express any views about Mandelson’s responses.

His replies were then reportedly assessed by No.10′s then-director of communications, Matthew Doyle, who was also a personal friend to Mandelson.

Doyle reportedly said he was “satisfied” with the peer’s answers.

The government released its first tranche of documents related to the vetting around the peer’s appointment this week.

Some information is being withheld while Scotland Yard carries out its own probe into Mandelson over allegations of misconduct in public office.

Mandelson denies all allegations of wrongdoing.