Fact check: Guidance said ‘conditional appointments’ can be made before vetting

Lord Peter Mandelson’s appointment was announced before his security vetting was completed (Jordan Pettitt/PA) - (PA Wire)

Discussing the vetting of Lord Peter Mandelson as British ambassador to the US, Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander told BBC Breakfast: “That was actually the process for the appointment of political appointees to ambassadors that we inherited as a Government.”

He added: “We have already changed that approach because, frankly, the vetting should precede the appointment, but what we inherited was a system at the time whereby an announcement could be made followed by the vetting process being undertaken.”