Mandelson vetting scandal rocks Starmer

Downing Street is in crisis after it emerged that Lord Mandelson was denied security clearance in January 2025 due to his historical links to Jeffrey Epstein.

Despite this, the Foreign Office took the rare step of overriding the veto, a decision that led to the effective removal of Permanent Under-Secretary Olly Robbins.

Prime Minister Starmer has denied prior knowledge of the failed vetting, but opposition leaders have accused him of misleading Parliament.

The scandal has intensified scrutiny of the government's appointment processes and its relationship with the controversial peer.