Highlights:
- MPs voted 335 to 223 against launching a parliamentary investigation into Starmer
- Badenoch accused Starmer of giving incorrect information to parliament
- Some Labour MPs broke ranks and backed the motion for an inquiry
- Morgan McSweeney admitted making a “serious mistake” in advising Mandelson’s appointment
PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer on Tuesday avoided a parliamentary probe after opposition politicians pushed for an investigation into his appointment of Peter Mandelson as envoy to the US.
Members of parliament voted against referring Starmer to a committee to examine whether he misled parliament over appointing Mandelson, an ex-associate of Jeffrey Epstein, to the diplomatic post.
After a debate lasting more than five hours, 335 lawmakers voted against launching an investigation, while 223 supported it, giving a majority of 112 in the 650-seat parliament.
The proposed probe would have been carried out by the cross-party privileges committee, which examines possible breaches of parliamentary conduct.
Opposition challenge
Opposition Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who led the move, said it was “very obvious” that what Starmer told the House of Commons about Mandelson’s 2024 appointment was “not correct”.
“It’s clear that full due process was not followed,” she told MPs.
Starmer denies claims that his office pressured the foreign ministry to approve Mandelson’s appointment as Britain’s ambassador in Washington despite failing security vetting.
Earlier this month, Starmer removed the most senior civil servant in the foreign office, Olly Robbins, for not informing him or other ministers that Mandelson had not passed the checks.
Starmer, who described the probe motion as “a political stunt” ahead of local elections in England, Scotland and Wales next week, holds a large majority in parliament.
Labour MPs were instructed to vote against the motion, making it unlikely to pass.
Some Labour MPs broke ranks. Brian Leishman said Starmer should have referred himself to the committee and backed the motion.
Emma Lewell said the instruction to vote against it “played into the terrible narrative that there is something to hide”.
‘Serious mistake’
Starmer removed Mandelson in September 2025 after new details emerged about his links with Epstein, who died in prison in 2019.
The issue has continued, with Starmer’s former chief of staff Morgan McSweeney and former communications head Tim Allan stepping down earlier this year.
UK police are also investigating Mandelson over claims of misconduct in office during his time as a Labour minister more than a decade ago.
Mandelson is accused of sharing sensitive information with Epstein. He denies wrongdoing.
On Tuesday, McSweeney told parliament’s foreign affairs committee that he made a “serious mistake” in advising Starmer to appoint Mandelson.
He denied telling officials that Mandelson’s vetting checks “should be cleared at all costs”.
Vetting concerns raised
Earlier, former foreign office head Philip Barton told MPs it was unusual for an appointment to be announced before vetting was completed.
The privileges committee previously handled the case involving former prime minister Boris Johnson over whether he misled parliament about Covid-19 rule breaches.
Johnson stepped down as an MP in 2023 before the committee released a report recommending his suspension.
(With inputs from agencies)
