Starmer to Admit Misleading Parliament Over Mandelson Vetting
Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to tell the Commons he inadvertently gave MPs misleading information about Peter Mandelson's security vetting, while insisting he would 'never knowingly mislead parliament or the public' and was himself misled. Documents revealed by The Guardian show the then-Cabinet Secretary Simon Case appeared to advise Starmer to complete Mandelson's vetting before announcing his appointment as US ambassador, and that Mandelson was offered higher-tier intelligence briefings before vetting was finalised. The row involves complex national security vetting procedures, including 'DV' (Developed Vetting), whose acronyms The Guardian has explained in a separate explainer. BBC's Chris Mason notes the episode shows Westminster 'continues to have the power to surprise.'