'Appalling judgement': Former MI6 chief slams appointment of sacked Lord Mandelson as US ambassador
Former "C" says Labour should have known better after Epstein revelations
The former head of MI6 has told LBC it was "appalling judgement" to appoint Lord Mandelson as US Ambassador after he was sacked over his ties to disgraced billionaire Jeffrey Epstein.
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Sir Richard Dearlove, once known as 'C' inside the British security service, told Nick Ferrari at Breakfast about the vetting process that ambassadors must go through, insisting that either Mandelson was lying or "there was a massive misjudgement made".
He said: "To be ambassador in Washington you would need a DV certificate - that is Developed Vetting, the highest level of vetting.
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"He would have been interviewed or should have been interviewed and one of the questions that would have been put is: 'Is there anything in your background that we don't already know about that would bring the office of Ambassador into disrepute? The country into disrepute?'
"Either he didn't say that [about his relationship with Epstein, in which case he was lying or he did and there was a massive misjudgment made in appointing him Ambassador because they had in front of them, let's say, the example of Prince Andrew, whose life has been ruined by a relationship with this man.
"So you couldn't say that no one had worked it out. So I mean it's pretty clear cut either way. It was appalling judgement in appointing him."
Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty confirmed to the Commons on Thursday morning that Lord Mandelson had been sacked, noting that emails revealed the "extent and depth" of his relationship with the financier.
His sacking came just 24 hours after Sir Keir Starmer insisted the ambassador had his full confidence and had undergone thorough vetting procedures ahead of his appointment.
"In light of additional information in emails written by Peter Mandelson, the prime minister has asked the foreign secretary to withdraw him as ambassador to the United States.
Speaking on Mandelson, Sir Richard said the sacked ambassador as a "integrity problem".
He said: "He'd twice been removed from ministerial office. He has a dodgy background. I'm not saying he's not a super talented guy, but he's a guy with an integrity problem.
"So if you're going to appoint him, you have to vet him very, very, very carefully."