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Sir Keir Starmer was briefed on details of Peter Mandelson’s relationship Pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein Before making him the US Ambassador, he was heard by a selection committee.
was the prime minister He is said to have received a Cabinet Office report referring to “reputational risks” Lord Mandelson’s appointment, which included “his previous resignation as a minister” and “his former relationship with Jeffrey Epstein”.
“This section includes direct quotes from media reporting and notes of general reputational risk,” Cabinet Secretary Sir Chris Wormald told the Foreign Affairs Committee on Monday.
Sir Chris indicated that The decision whether to appoint or not depends on the Prime Minister,
Lord Mandelson was dismissed on September 10, a day after the Prime Minister told MPs that he retained confidence in him despite concerns over his relationship with Epstein.
While Lord Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein was known when he was appointed, emails later emerged in which he told the pedophile financier to “fight for early release” shortly before he was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
It was also reported that Lord Mandelson told Epstein, “I think this is the world of you”, the day before the sex offender was to begin his sentence for soliciting prostitution of a minor in June 2008.
Sir Oliver Robbins, Permanent Under-Secretary at the FCDO, said that a “process” had taken place within the Cabinet Office to ensure that the PM was aware of Lord Mandelson and “the issues surrounding his appointment”.
“There was then a process to resolve their conflicts of interest, which was monitored by the Department of Employment… and actually parallel to that process we also went through the standard UK national security vetting process for DVs. [developed vetting],
“So I think that was the first of those processes where we can say with confidence that the relationship with Jeffrey Epstein came to light.”
He added, “We are not at liberty to say whether this would have come to light during the national security vetting process.”
Sir Oliver said that Lord Mandelson “did not undergo a national security check when he was appointed, but as is usually the case with external appointments in my department and the wider civil service, the appointment was made subject to obtaining security clearance”.
He said Lord Mandelson completed a conflict of interest form, but it did not include “friendship”, because “that is not the type of reputational conflict that is being targeted by that form”.
Sir Chris said the process had been changed since Lord Mandelson was sacked.
He added: “The issue at which Lord Mandelson was withdrawn from Washington was information… which was not available to us at the time of due diligence.”
“There are two issues here. The process is there and, as I say, we believe the process can be improved, and indeed we have improved it. And that is the information that was available at the time.”
“Relations with Lord Mandelson [Epstein] This was marked in the due diligence exercise carried out by the Cabinet Office.
MPs pressured the Cabinet Office to release information available to the Prime Minister after he told the House of Commons that he had confidence in Lord Peter Mandelson before his dismissal.
Sir Chris said he would consider requests for additional information to be included in the due diligence report on Britain’s former ambassador to the United States.
During the select committee, he was repeatedly pressured to reveal details contained in a report submitted to Sir Keir before Lord Mandelson’s appointment in February, and was also challenged on the timing of the information he provided to the Prime Minister as the scandal unfolded.
The Cabinet Secretary declined to elaborate on the contents of the report, including whether it included reference to the emails in question, but insisted that all known details were given to the Prime Minister.
Sir Keir said it was regrettable that he was not made aware of the new information before addressing MPs on the matter.
Sir Oliver confirmed that the department and Number 10 were aware of the email before Prime Minister’s Questions on 10 September.
Committee chair Emily Thornberry asked Sir Chris to provide the committee with a list of separate reports on Lord Mandelson’s relationship with Mr Epstein that were given to the Prime Minister.
In response, he said: “I would be happy to address that question and see if there are other things we can share.”
Sir Oliver confirmed that his department had received a media inquiry from Bloomberg about the emails.
When asked why the Prime Minister was not informed about the emails before Prime Minister’s Questions, he said: “We received the material. We asked some questions about the content, which the Prime Minister has commented on in his public comments.”
“I can’t say what he saw at what point… but Chris and I were in constant contact about it, and I was briefing the Secretary of State.”