Labour Figures Respond to Calls for Inquiry
Senior Labour figures have expressed criticism towards calls for a new parliamentary investigation into whether the prime minister was truthful with MPs regarding the vetting process for Lord Mandelson's appointment as the UK's ambassador to the United States.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused Sir Keir Starmer of having misled Parliament "multiple times" on the matter.
"Look into their consciences," she urged Labour MPs, encouraging them to support a new inquiry by the Privileges Committee.
Labour MP Dame Emily Thornberry, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee currently examining the appointment, told the BBC that there was no "rush" to establish a new inquiry and suggested some MPs were "trying to score points ahead of the local elections."
Separately, former Labour ministers Lord Blunkett and Alan Johnson described an inquiry as a "waste of money."
Parliamentary Process and Voting
The Commons Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, must permit a debate on the issue, after which MPs will vote on whether to initiate an investigation.
If permitted, this vote could occur as early as Tuesday.
Given the government's majority in the House of Commons, a significant number of Labour MPs would need to vote in favour or abstain for an inquiry to proceed.
Privileges Committee and Ministerial Code
The Privileges Committee investigates breaches of parliamentary rules by MPs. In 2023, it ruled that former Prime Minister Boris Johnson had misled MPs about parties held in Downing Street during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Ministerial Code requires ministers who knowingly mislead Parliament to resign, while inadvertent errors should be corrected "at the earliest opportunity."
Background on Lord Mandelson's Appointment
Lord Mandelson was dismissed seven months after commencing his role in Washington DC due to his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Sir Keir Starmer has apologized for the appointment but continues to face scrutiny over whether the vetting process was expedited.
Conservative Leader's Criticism
On Monday, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch stated there remained "still a lot of information that doesn't add up."
"What I'm seeing is a prime minister who is saying whatever he needs to to save his own skin," she said.
She accused Sir Keir of misleading Parliament when he asserted that "full due process" had been followed during the appointment.
She also challenged the prime minister's claim that "no pressure existed whatsoever" on the Civil Service to approve Lord Mandelson as ambassador.
However, Sir Olly Robbins, the senior civil servant in the Foreign Office until his dismissal by the prime minister, told the Foreign Affairs Committee last week that there was "constant pressure." He added that this pressure did not influence his decision to grant Lord Mandelson security clearance for the position.
Prime Minister's Clarification
In an apparent attempt to clarify his parliamentary comments, Sir Keir told the Sunday Times that there are "different types of pressure."
"There's pressure – 'Can we get this done quickly?' – which is not an unusual pressure. That is the everyday pressure of government," he explained.
Government Defence of the Prime Minister
Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds defended Sir Keir, stating:
"It was categorically proven last week that the PM did not lie to Parliament.
The prime minister had said that due process was followed and due process was followed, unfortunately the process was fundamentally flawed."
Upcoming Votes and Evidence Sessions
A vote on launching a Privileges Committee inquiry is expected on Tuesday, coinciding with senior former government officials scheduled to provide evidence to the Foreign Affairs Committee. These include the prime minister's former chief of staff Morgan McSweeney and former senior Foreign Office civil servant Sir Philip Barton.
Liberal Democrat Leader's Statement
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey commented:
"Labour MPs must be given a free vote on any motion to refer Starmer to the Privileges Committee, not forced into being accomplices to a cover-up.
If Keir Starmer has misled the House and the public, he must be held to the same standard that we should expect of any prime minister."
Former Labour Ministers' Joint Statement
In a joint statement to the Times, former Labour ministers Alan Johnson and Lord Blunkett described the Conservative calls for a Privileges Committee inquiry as a "nakedly political stunt."
"Any comparison with Boris Johnson is absurd. When Parliament referred that matter to the Privileges Committee, a police investigation had directly disproved his categoric statements that he knew nothing about the breach of lockdown rules," they said.
Dame Emily Thornberry on Committee Work
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Dame Emily Thornberry noted that her committee was investigating the appointment and expressed reluctance for the Privileges Committee to "duplicate the work we're doing."
"It may be that at some stage in the future, some of the questions haven't been answered, and it is decided that they are of sufficient importance that the Privileges Committee should be involved," she said.
"But I don't really see why we're doing it at the moment, apart from, potentially people trying to score points in advance of the local elections.
I'm sorry to say that, and I'm not supposed to be partisan on this, but it is as plain as the nose on my face what's going on here."
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