Sir Keir Starmer has denied misleading MPs by telling them due process was followed in the appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US.
Files released on March 11 showed Sir Keir’s national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, had described the peer’s appointment as “weirdly rushed” and Lord Mandelson had been named as the new ambassador before his vetting had been completed.
Asked whether he had misled the Commons by telling them due process had been followed, the Prime Minister told a press conference on Monday: “No.”
Sir Keir added that his ethics adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus, had considered the question last week, “and answered very robustly that the process had been followed”.
But he continued that the process “wasn’t strong enough”, saying: “Amongst the changes that I intend to put into place is the fact you can’t announce something until the vetting is finished.
“It wasn’t an individual decision in the Mandelson case, that was the process. We only have to look at that in the light of the appointment to realise that that needs to change.
“But on due process, that process that was there was followed, the problem was the process wasn’t strong enough. Ultimately, it was my mistake and I have apologised for that and quite right too.”
In a letter published on March 13, Sir Laurie had rejected a call from Conservative frontbencher Alex Burghart for an inquiry into whether the Prime Minister had misled the Commons over Lord Mandelson’s appointment.
He said: “I consider that the documentation that has been made public indicates that the relevant process for a political appointee was followed.”
Last week saw the release of the first tranche of documents related to Lord Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to Washington, with further documents expected to follow.
The release was compelled by MPs, who backed a Conservative motion calling for the publication of a wide range of files connected to the appointment, along with communications between Lord Mandelson and senior ministers and Government advisers.
Some material is expected to be withheld either because it relates to a police investigation into Lord Mandelson, or because Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee believes it could jeopardise national security or diplomatic relations.
Lord Mandelson was arrested on February 23 on suspicion of misconduct in public office, having been accused of passing sensitive information to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein during his time as business secretary in Gordon Brown’s government.
He was subsequently bailed, but later released from his bail conditions, although he remains under investigation.
In the House of Commons Conservative MP Alicia Kearns (Rutland and Stamford) asked the Government whether it had broken its own rules by paying Lord Mandelson the £75,000 severance payout.
She said: “Treasury rules say severance cannot be used to avoid unwelcome publicity or reputational damage. Yet the Foreign Office advice to the Prime Minister says ‘given the reputation impact for HMG, a modest settlement as proposed is the recommended course of action’.
“So does the minister maintain that no rules were broken with his payoff.”
Cabinet Office minister Darren Jones said: “The documents were published in the bundle last week and they speak for themselves.”
Mr Jones also did not deny he had communicated with Lord Mandelson via a private email address.
When asked by Conservative former minister Sir Desmond Swayne, Mr Jones said: “Any communications that are subject to the humble address will be published in the second tranche.”
