Keir Starmer has insisted he will not resign, telling Parliament that allegations he misled MPs over the appointment of a loyalist as UK ambassador to Washington have been “put to bed”.
He spoke in the House of Commons amid growing pressure over his decision to appoint veteran politician Peter Mandelson as envoy, a move he now admits involved an error of judgement.
The Prime Minister addressed lawmakers a day after senior civil servant Olly Robbins gave evidence to a parliamentary committee following his dismissal over the controversy. Starmer said Robbins had confirmed he did not share security clearance concerns with him, Downing Street or other ministers.
Starmer told MPs that this testimony cleared him of accusations of dishonesty, insisting that if he had known independent vetting officials advised against security clearance, he would not have approved Mandelson’s appointment.
The opposition Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch rejected his explanation, questioning why he proceeded despite other concerns raised during due diligence checks, including alleged links to a Kremlin-connected firm.
Mandelson was appointed in December 2024 and assumed the post in February 2025, shortly before the inauguration of US President Donald Trump.
Although the exact security concerns remain undisclosed, officials have clarified they were not related to Jeffrey Epstein.
Starmer’s former aide Morgan McSweeney has resigned over the fallout, while Robbins told MPs that Downing Street applied sustained pressure on officials to approve the appointment quickly, describing the tone as forceful and directive.