Labour MPs turn on Starmer after top civil servant accuses No10 of ‘dismissive approach’ to security over Mandelson

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The Prime Minister's position is being questioned by many, after Sir Olly blamed Downing Street for the fiasco that saw Lord Mandelson appointed as Ambassador to the United States despite warnings over his security vetting.

Sir Olly told the influential committee that Downing Street's insistence that Mandelson be appointed to the top diplomatic posting was the reason that the Foreign Office overruled the UK Security Vetting's concerns to grant him clearance.

In doing so, the former head of the department laid the blame for the scandal firmly at Downing Street's door.

Read More: MPs are still not ready to axe Starmer, though many feel it is all but inevitable, writes Natasha Clark

Read More: A Prime Minister in the dark, or in denial? Mandelson vetting row raises serious questions, writes Andrew Marr

After the testimony, Labour MPs have criticised the Prime Minister's operation and called his judgement into question.

Speaking to LBC's Tonight with Andrew Marr, Dame Emily Thornberry hinted she may call the Prime Minister's former Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney to testify over the scandal.

McSweeney, who is a protege of Mandelson, resigned his role earlier this year while taking responsibility for appointing the ambassador despite his well-known history with Jeffrey Epstein.

Dame Emily told Andrew: "Well, I think that in the end, the criticism of Keir is that he was hands-off and he let other people do this.

"And I think that there was an abuse of power from those who were given that power."

When asked by Andrew about the revelation that Sir Keir's former Director of Communications Matthew Doyle was also being pushed for an ambassadorship by Morgan McSweeney, Dame Emily again suggested this amounted to an abuse of power.

Baron Doyle, who was made a peer by Starmer, was suspended by the Labour Party for campaigning for Sean Morton after he had been charged with possessing indecent images of children.

She told him: "According to [Sir] Olly Robbins, the private office from Number 10 rings up his private office and says, 'Can you find an ambassador role for somebody else now?'

"You've got all these professional civil servants wondering about their next job and they're all pushed to one side to make way for Matthew Doyle.

"That's what I mean about people who've been given power and who are abusing it."

When asked who she believed was to blame, Dame Emily said she thinks it is "Morgan [McSweeney] getting above himself. You know, this is Morgan taking too much power for himself. And the criticism of Keir is that he let him."

The influential Labour figure was not the only person criticising the Downing Street operation on Tuesday.

Cabinet allies Yvette Cooper and Ed Miliband noticeably distanced themselves from the Prime Minister in the wake of Olly Robbins's appearance.

Ms Cooper, the current Foreign Secretary, called the failure to inform her predecessor, David Lammy, of the intention to appoint Baron Doyle as an ambassador "extremely concerning".

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband told Sky News that he was worried about the appointment of Mandelson to Washington when it was announced.

The former Labour leader told the broadcaster: “I had a conversation with David Lammy about it before the appointment, and I said I was worried about it … I think he was worried about it too.”

Chancellor Rachel Reeves, however, backed Starmer and warned a leadership contest risked “instability and [a] lack of investment” in Britain.

Several backbenchers have also rounded on Sir Keir.

Imran Hussain, the Labour MP for Bradford East, said the culture created by Starmer's leadership was "toxic" in the Commons.

He told the House: "At the heart of this is a toxic and dismissive culture at No 10. At some point, we can not get away from it.

“That divisiveness has led us to this place. This is not a small administration breach; it is a matter of national security.”

Ian Byrne, Labour MP for Liverpool West Derby, said Lord Mandelson’s appointment “reflects a wider direction under the Prime Minister” and also said a “toxic culture” has been allowed to “take hold of No 10 and the governing of our country”.

An unnamed MP told The Telegraph that Sir Keir was a "dead man walking" and would soon be challenged for leadership of his party.

“How long can this zombie administration continue?” they said. “It’s over for him. He can’t come back from this. Someone needs to put an arm around him and say: it’s over.”