Liz Saville Roberts says Prime Minister must go after claims Peter Mandelson failed security checks before being cleared by Foreign Office officials
SIR KEIR STARMER is facing fresh calls to quit after reports emerged that Lord Peter Mandelson initially failed security vetting before being appointed Britain’s ambassador to the United States.
Plaid Cymru has now joined the growing chorus demanding the Prime Minister’s resignation, with the party’s Westminster leader Liz Saville Roberts accusing him of presiding over a scandal that strikes at the heart of trust, judgement and accountability in government.
The row erupted after reports claimed UK Security Vetting refused Mandelson clearance during the Developed Vetting process, only for officials at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to step in and override that decision. Days later, Mandelson was informed that he had passed.
Saville Roberts said the affair suggested political convenience had been allowed to trump proper scrutiny. She said the public had been misled and argued that if documents are now being kept back from Parliament, the damage to confidence in government will only deepen.
The controversy is especially serious because Starmer had previously insisted due process had been followed and that Mandelson had received independent security clearance for the role. Those assurances are now under intense pressure, with opposition parties demanding a full explanation of who knew about the failed vetting, and when.
Downing Street has responded by claiming that neither the Prime Minister nor ministers were told Mandelson had been granted Developed Vetting against official advice until earlier this week. A government spokesperson said the decision was taken by Foreign Office officials, not politicians, and said Starmer had ordered officials to establish the full facts before updating the House of Commons.
But the political fallout is intensifying fast. Mandelson’s appointment had already been mired in controversy because of his past links to Jeffrey Epstein, and the latest revelations have raised still more questions about why such a high-profile diplomatic posting was handled in this way.
For Plaid Cymru, the issue is no longer just about Mandelson. It is about whether the Prime Minister can still be believed when he says standards were upheld. With Westminster already braced for further document releases and more questions in Parliament, Labour now finds itself battling claims of a cover-up as well as a catastrophic failure of judgement.
