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A senior Labour MP has written to the foreign secretary demanding answers about the vetting process for UK diplomats in the wake of Peter Mandelson’s sacking as US ambassador.
Emily Thornberry, chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, has outlined a series of questions in a letter to Yvette Cooper about the appointment of Lord Mandelson and his subsequent removal over his links to disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
She also urges Ms Cooper to “look again at pre-appointment scrutiny so that it might prevent such embarrassing diplomatic incidents as this from occurring again”.
Ms Thornberry writes: “It has been suggested by a number of media outlets that security concerns were overlooked during the appointments process, and that such decisions may have been taken by actors outside of the Foreign Office, perhaps senior people in No 10.
“These allegations are potentially very serious, with implications far beyond newspaper gossip.
“As chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, it is my responsibility to ensure that the House of Commons receives a thorough response to a number of important unanswered questions.”
The Labour MP goes on to list eight questions for Ms Cooper. These include:
• What security concerns were raised by the agencies undertaking security clearance ahead of Lord Mandelson’s appointment?
• What was the response of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to any such concerns?
• Was it the assessment of the FCDO that any such concerns represented a potential barrier to Lord Mandelson’s appointment?
• Was there a decision made to dismiss security concerns? Was such a decision taken by the FCDO or by No 10? If so, by whom?
• Did the usual vetting process for diplomatic appointments commence in relation to Lord Mandelson before his…
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