British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is under pressure after the government admitted to security vetting problems during Peter Mandelson's appointment as ambassador to the United States. This was reported by the Associated Press, writes UNN.
Details
As it turned out, Mandelson was initially denied access to classified information, but the vetting procedure was later changed. The government stated that Starmer only recently learned about this.
A government spokesman said the prime minister "immediately ordered an investigation into why the amended vetting was provided."
Ties to Epstein
The scandal is related to Mandelson's contacts with financier Jeffrey Epstein. According to published documents, the politician may have passed confidential information to him as early as 2009.
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Mandelson himself denies any wrongdoing, and no official charges have been brought against him.
Political pressure
The opposition reacted sharply to the situation. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said Starmer "definitely has to resign."
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Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey also stressed that the prime minister must resign if he misled parliament.
Starmer previously claimed that all procedures were followed, but after new data, he admitted that he relied on "Mandelson's lies."
The scandal became one of the biggest challenges for his government amid the investigation and arrest of Mandelson in February on suspicion of abuse of office.
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