Senior Whitehall security officials have expressed strong frustration after Labour leader Keir Starmer suggested they failed to properly vet former peer Peter Mandelson. Officials described the claim that they were responsible for the oversight as misleading and insisted that Starmer himself is accountable.
A senior Whitehall source dismissed the vetting argument as a distraction, emphasizing that the responsibility lies solely with Starmer. The officials also criticized Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s assertion that he was misled about Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, calling the claim “farcical.”
**Why this matters**
The dispute highlights tensions between political leaders and security agencies over accountability in sensitive vetting processes. It also raises questions about how information regarding high-profile individuals’ associations is managed and communicated within government.
Source: NewsData