British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told the House of Commons on Monday that "at the heart of this is a judgment I made that was wrong", confirming he should not have appointed Peter Mandelson as the UK's envoy to Washington.

Starmer revealed that on January 28, 2025, UK Security Vetting (UKSV) recommended denying Mandelson his clearance, only for Foreign Office officials to overturn that decision the very next day, a reversal Starmer says was never disclosed to him. The full timeline is detailed via CNN.

Starmer placed the blame squarely on the Foreign Office and its then-top civil servant, Olly Robbins, whom he sacked last Thursday. He told MPs it "beggars belief" that officials withheld the vetting refusal from the most senior ministers across the entire timeline.

Mandelson, who has a well-documented friendship with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, was eventually removed from the role in September 2025, seven months into his tenure.

UK police are currently investigating allegations of misconduct in office against Mandelson from over 15 years ago, though no charges have been filed.

The political fallout has been severe. Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch accused Starmer of either incompetence or deliberately misleading Parliament, and called for his resignation.

Ex-civil servants have also accused Starmer of scapegoating Robbins. In response to the crisis, the Foreign Office's ability to unilaterally override vetting decisions has been removed, and all future appointments will now require completed vetting before any announcement.

An inquiry has also launched into whether security breaches occurred during Mandelson's time in post.