Lib Dems report Keir Starmer to his own ethics advisor

This big news this morning is that Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing calls to resign, following the latest revelation about the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US.

According to The Guardian, security officials initially denied Lord Mandelson clearance, but Starmer had already announced his appointment, and the Foreign Office took the rare step of overruling the recommendation.

Previously, the PM insisted due process was followed and that the vetting “gave him clearance for the role”.

After a number of calls to resign, the Lib Dems have now reported Keir Starmer to his own ethics advisor, claiming the PM has breached managerial code.

The letter came from Lib Dem MP for Hazel Grove, Lisa Smart who wrote: “Dear Sir Laurie, I am writing to request that you initiate an investigation into a potential breach of the Ministerial Code by the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer.

Referencing the Mandelson controversy, she wrote: “Under Section 1.6.C of the Ministerial Code, it is not only expected but ‘of paramount importance’ to give accurate, truthful information to Parliament and that ministers ‘correct any inadvertent error at the earliest opportunity’.”

After mentioning Starmer’s claim that “full due process” was followed, but added: “It appears that upon being made aware that Mandelson failed vetting, the Prime Minister did not immediately update the House of Commons.

“By withholding this information (which is of significant national importance) from Parliament over the course of the week, until it surfaced through other channels, the Prime Minister appears to have failed in his obligation to correct inadvertent errors ‘at the earliest opportunity’.”

“He had one such clear opportunity at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, yet failed to correct the record. I would make the case that this represents a clear breach of the Ministerial Code. I therefore urge you to investigate whether the Prime Minister’s failure to report this information constitutes a formal breach.”

After it emerged that Lord Mandelson was made US ambassador despite failing his security vetting, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said that Starmer should resign.

“Keir Starmer said in February that the security services had given Mandelson ‘clearance for the role’. Now we discover that he has blatantly lied, the Prime Minister should resign”, Farage said.

Meanwhile, leader of the Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch said that Sir Keir should resign if he withheld documents by a cover-up from Parliament.

“If he has misled Parliament, as it looks like he has, he should resign. If he has broken the ministerial code, as it looks like he has, he should resign”, Badenoch said.

“I’m only holding him to the same standards to which he’s held previous Prime Ministers – that if they mislead parliament, they should resign. This is the standard which he sets himself.”

Sir Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, also said that the PM must resign if he “misled Parliament and lied to the British public”.

Green Party MP Sian Berry also suggested that the Prime Minister must resign, adding that “Keir Starmer has lied and lied again over his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson”.

The PM said that he understood the “anger and frustration” of Labour MPs at his decision to appoint him as UK ambassador to Washington two years ago.