UK PM Starmer Avoids Probe Over Mandelson Appointment Misleading Claims

After more than five hours of debate on Tuesday (Local time), Members of Parliament voted 335 to 223 against a motion led by the Conservative Party that called for Starmer to be investigated by the House's Privileges Committee.

Starmer told British media on Monday that the vote was a "political stunt" by his opponents, reports Xinhua news agency.

The vote centred on whether Starmer misled Parliament when he said that "full due process" had been followed in Mandelson's appointment. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch argued that this statement amounted to misleading Parliament.

Starmer said Monday the vote on the following day to decide whether he will be investigated is a "political stunt" by his "political opponents."

"What's my political opponents are doing tomorrow is a political stunt," Starmer told Sky News. "Having a political stunt adds absolutely nothing to the transparency we've got. It's not good use of parliament's time."

In mid-April, it was revealed that before taking up his post, Mandelson had been denied security clearance in January 2025. At the time, British security officials had conducted a rigorous vetting process, including a confidential background check, but the decision was overturned by the UK Foreign Office.

Starmer said he became aware of the matter only on April 14, insisting that he didn't mislead Parliament when telling them "full due process" was followed.

Mandelson was dismissed as Britain's chief diplomat in Washington in September 2025 following revelations about his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Earlier this year, he was briefly arrested as part of an investigation into alleged misconduct in public office, including the possible disclosure of market-sensitive information.

- IANS