UK PM Starmer avoids parliamentary probe over Mandelson US ambassador appointment

British MPs voted 335-223 on Tuesday to reject a motion that would have referred Prime Minister Keir Starmer to the Privileges Committee for allegedly misleading parliament over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador, effectively ending the parliamentary inquiry into the matter.

The vote, which followed a debate lasting more than five hours, saw 335 lawmakers oppose the investigation compared to 223 in favour, a majority of 112 in the 650-seat parliament. The cross-party Privileges Committee, which investigates potential breaches of parliamentary conduct, would have examined whether Starmer misled the House of Commons over Mandelson's appointment.

Opposition Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who led the move for the probe, told MPs it was "very obvious" that what Starmer had told the House of Commons regarding Mandelson's December 2024 appointment was "not correct." "It's clear that full due process was not followed," she said.

Starmer branded the probe motion "a political stunt" ahead of local elections in England, Scotland and Wales next week. Cabinet ministers dismissed the move as politically motivated, arguing it was timed to damage the government before the polls.

At the centre of the row are allegations that Starmer misled parliament when he said that "full due process" was followed in Mandelson's appointment, and again when he insisted that "no pressure existed whatsoever" during the vetting process. Starmer denies allegations that his office applied pressure on the foreign ministry to approve Mandelson's appointment despite the latter having failed security vetting.

Earlier this month, Starmer sacked the most senior civil servant in the foreign office, Olly Robbins, for not telling him or other ministers that Mandelson had not passed the checks. Robbins told MPs last week there had been "constant pressure" during the vetting process, though he said it did not affect his decision to grant clearance. Starmer later said there are "different types of pressure," adding: "That is the everyday pressure of government."

Starmer sacked Mandelson in September 2025 after a fresh batch of revelations came to light about the extent of Mandelson's friendship with late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who died in prison in 2019. Mandelson, a former associate of Epstein, was appointed ambassador to the US in December 2024. Long dubbed a political "spin doctor" and the "Prince of Darkness" for his strategic influence, Mandelson ended his decades-long career with resignations from both the Labour Party and the House of Lords.

The row has escalated further, with Starmer's former chief of staff Morgan McSweeney and ex-communications head Tim Allan forced to step down earlier this year. On Tuesday, McSweeney told parliament's foreign affairs committee that he made a "serious mistake" in advising Starmer to appoint Mandelson. But he denied telling officials that Mandelson's vetting checks "should be cleared at all costs."

Several Labour MPs dissented from the party line, highlighting their discontent with the prime minister. Brian Leishman, a frequent Labour rebel, said Starmer should have referred himself to the committee and was voting for the motion. Lawmaker Emma Lewell said the government's instruction to vote against "played into the terrible narrative that there is something to hide."

UK police are investigating Mandelson over allegations he committed misconduct in office while serving as a Labour minister more than a decade ago. Mandelson is accused of leaking sensitive information to Epstein. He denies wrongdoing.

The Privileges Committee was responsible for former prime minister Boris Johnson's exit from frontline politics after it investigated him for misleading parliament over the so-called "partygate" breaches of COVID-19 laws. Johnson quit as an MP in 2023 before the committee published a report recommending his suspension.