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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Paul Lewis, Henry Dyer and Pippa Crerar

Starmer was left in dark about Mandelson’s vetting by two other top civil servants

Illustration of Starmer, Antonia Romeo and Catherine Little
Antonia Romeo, left, and Catherine Little, right, have been aware of the vetting failure surrounding Mandelson since March. Illustration: Guardian Design

Keir Starmer was left in the dark about sensitive information relating to Peter Mandelson’s security vetting by two other top civil servants, including the head of the civil service, the Guardian can reveal.

The prime minister said on Friday that it was “unforgivable” and “staggering” that senior officials did not tell him that Mandelson failed a security vetting process weeks before he took up his role as ambassador to Washington.

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