Starmer put in the clear after former aide takes blame for Mandelson scandal
Keir Starmer has avoided a parliamentary inquiry into the Peter Mandelson vetting scandal after his former chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, took responsibility for the appointment. By a vote of 335 to 223, Labour used its majority to block a 'sleaze' inquiry by the Commons Privileges Committee. While McSweeney admitted the appointment was a serious error, questions remain about Starmer's judgment and transparency.
- ▪Morgan McSweeney, Keir Starmer's former chief of staff, admitted he was wrong to advise on Peter Mandelson's appointment as US ambassador.
- ▪The Commons Privileges Committee inquiry into whether Starmer misled parliament was blocked by a Labour majority of 112 votes.
- ▪Several Labour MPs, including Bell Ribeiro-Addy and Emma Lewell, criticized Starmer's handling of the situation and expressed intent to vote for the inquiry.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
NewsUKUK PoliticsStarmer escapes sleaze inquiry after ex-top aide takes blame for Mandelson vetting scandalPrime minister survives vote by MPs to launch ‘sleaze’ inquiry over failed vetting row David Maddox Political editor & Kate DevlinTuesday 28 April 2026 20:08 BSTBookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popover{"translations":{"comments":"Go to comments","share":"Share","copyLink":"Copy link","bookmark":"Bookmark","removeBookmark":"Remove bookmark"},"showComments":true,"showBookmark":true,"articleId":"b2966501","articleMeta":{"url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/morgan-mcsweeney-mandelson-starmer-trump-b2966501.html","title":"Starmer in the clear after former aide takes blame for Mandelson vetting scandal"}}Keir Starmer survives…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The Independent.
Discussion
0 commentsMore from The Independent
