Starmer avoids sleaze probe over Mandelson vetting scandal after Commons vote - but more than a dozen MPs rebel
The PM was under growing pressure to face a parliamentary inquiry into whether he misled the House.
Sir Keir Starmer may avoided a sleaze probe into his handling of the Mandelson vetting scandal following a vote in the House of Commons - but 15 Labour MPs went against him as pressure remains.
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MPs voted today on whether the Privileges Committee should consider if the Prime Minister misled the House by claiming “due process” was followed in appointing Peter Mandelson as US ambassador despite failing his security vetting.
They voted 335-223 against the Tory-led motion, meaning the government secured a majority of 112.
But 15 Labour MPs voted against their party line and in favour of a parliamentary inquiry in a concerning sign for the leader.
Emma Lewell, of South Shields, was among the MPs to disobey orders to reject the motion after she argued the Government’s handling of the privileges motion suggests to the public there is something to hide.
The vote took place following requests from Tory leader Kemi Badenoch and other senior MPs, with Sir Keir and his allies branding the attempt to hurl the PM before an inquiry a "political stunt".
Mrs Badenoch said Labour MPs will “rue the day” after voting the motion down as she accused the Prime Minister of a "cover-up".
She said: “To save his own skin, Keir Starmer threatened his MPs with the loss of their jobs unless they helped cover up his misleading statements to Parliament.
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"It is a disgrace that 333 Labour MPs chose to be complicit in that cover up.“
"It is very notable that the Chief Ssecretary to the Prime Minister would not repeat his boss’s claim that there “was no pressure whatsoever” from No 10 on the appointment of Peter Mandelson.
“This is a government coming apart at the seams. They are more interested in their own survival than the cost of living crisis affecting hardworking families.
“Labour MPs will rue the day that they voted against this motion, because it is the day that people saw they believe there’s one rule for Labour and another for everyone else.”
Sir Keir had come under mounting pressure to face the probe, with opposition figures calling on the PM to outline the details of Mandelson's appointment and outline what he knew about the vetting process and when.
At a packed meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party on Monday evening, the Prime Minister sought to dismiss the attempt to launch an inquiry as a “stunt” by political opponents trying to inflict damage before the May elections.
“I have responsibility for being totally transparent with you, with Parliament and the British public,” he told Labour parliamentarians.
“This is a political stunt by our opponents who want to bring us down, obscure our message, stop us getting on with our work.
“And the timing tells you everything nine days before local elections.”
The vote came hours after Morgan McSweeney, Sir Kier's former chief of staff, admitted he was wrong in advising the PM to appoint Mandelson.
In a statement before his testimony to the Foreign Affairs Committee, he said: "The appointment of Mandelson as ambassador was a serious error of judgment".
McSweeney told the committee that his recommendation was made based on Mandelson's "experience, relationships and political skills".
Mandelson was sacked as US ambassador last year because of his links to Epstein, after featuring in documents released by the US Department of Justice related to the paedophile financier.
"I advised the Prime Minister in support of that appointment, and I was wrong to do so," he said.
Last week, Sir Olly Robbins, who was the senior civil servant in the Foreign Office until he was sacked by the PM, told the Foreign Affairs Committee that there was "constant pressure" to approve the appointment.
But he added that this did not affect his decision to give Lord Mandelson security clearance to take up the role.
Speaking on Tuesday, McSweeney also said Starmer considered a "wide range of views" when deciding on the appointment.
He hit out at suggestions by some Cabinet ministers who warned against the decision at the time.