Starmer faces PMQs grilling after avoiding Mandelson sleaze probe
Sir Keir Starmer has avoided a parliamentary sleaze probe, after MPs voted down a motion from him to face questioning, but is still in line for a grilling from Kemi Badenoch at PMQs
Sir Keir Starmer is set for a grilling at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, despite having avoided a sleaze probe into his handling of the Mandelson vetting scandal.
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The prime minister yesterday survived a vote put forward by the Conservative opposition as to whether he should face the Privileges Committee over claims he, unintentionally or not, misled the House of Commons.
Sir Keir has been battling to save his job after it was found that Lord Peter Mandelson had been appointed as the British ambassador to the US, despite having failed a vetting procedure.
The PM has denied he knew this before appointing him, although senior civil servant Sir Olly Robbins has said that pressure had been applied by No 10.
Although he will not face the committee, Sir Keir is not yet out of the woods - especially as 15 Labour MPs defied the party whip to vote in favour of the Conservative motion.
Ultimately, the motion lost by 335-223.
After losing the vote, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch 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."
She will now have a chance ask Sir Keir further questions.
When is Prime Minister's Questions?
Like most weeks, Prime Minister's Question Time will be held from 12 noon at the House of Commons and you can listen live on LBC and LBC News.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch will ask initial questions to Sir Keir before other members put forward what they would like to ask. It is possible that time might run out before all of the questions are heard in Parliament.
The MPs who are set to ask questions today are:
- Gurinder Singh Josan (Smethwick)
- Emily Thornberry (Islington South and Finsbury)
- Chris Hinchliff (North East Hertfordshire)
- Rushanara Ali (Bethnal Green and Stepney)
- Sir John Hayes (South Holland and The Deepings)
- Anna Dixon (Shipley) (908937)
- Sir Jeremy Wright (Kenilworth and Southam)
- Natasha Irons (Croydon East)
- Baggy Shanker (Derby South)
- Dr Luke Evans (Hinckley and Bosworth)
- David Burton-Sampson (Southend West and Leigh)
- Lee Pitcher (Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme)
- Olly Glover (Didcot and Wantage)
- Iqbal Mohamed (Dewsbury and Batley)
- Robin Swann (South Antrim)