Peter Mandelson appointment branded ‘unmitigated catastrophe’ for Britain
A Foreign Affairs Committee investigation found it it was ‘difficult to understand’ how the disgraced peer was handed the plum Washington role, citing concerns about national security
Keir Starmer was damaged by the appointment of Peter Mandelson(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
The Peter Mandelson appointment as US ambassador was an “unmitigated disaster” that damaged Britain in the “eyes of the world ”, a damning report has found.
A Foreign Affairs Committee investigation found it was “difficult to understand” how the disgraced peer was handed the plum Washington role, citing concerns about national security.
Keir Starmer sacked him in September 2025 after fresh revelations over his friendship with the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, but the scandal refused to go away and deeply damaged the soon-to-be former PM.
The influential Westminster committee found the process was not followed, and are now calling for no public appointments to be announced or made without the appropriate security clearance first being granted.
They argue when a Prime Minister wishes to make a specific appointment, they should always consult the Head of Diplomatic Service and the Foreign Secretary. The report also called for a new process of appointments, and for the diligence report to always be shared with the hiring department.
Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Dame Emily Thornberry MP, said: “Despite my Committee’s extensive scrutiny and evidence gathering, and the thousands of pages published via the Humble Address, there are still unanswered questions as to how someone so clearly unfit was appointed British Ambassador to the United States.
“Mandelson’s appointment was an unmitigated disaster for the country. It should never have been allowed to happen, and it cannot ever be repeated. To prevent anything similar from happening again, no public appointments should be made without security vetting having already taken place.
“With the appointment announced, Mandelson on the payroll, and constant pressure from No. 10, it is no wonder that some civil servants in the Foreign Office felt the appointment was a forgone conclusion. But when our nation’s security is at stake, there can be no exceptions made, regardless of the individual’s public profile or sense of pressure.
“Peter Mandelson’s appointment has been highly damaging for the Government, painful and offensive to the victims of Jeffrey Epstein and it has diminished our country in the eyes of the world.”
Sir Olly Robbins, who was sacked by the PM, previously claimed the Government was ‘dismissive’ of vetting Lord Mandelson – and claimed he was ordered to find a job for a key Starmer aide.
Earlier this year a vast trove of private WhatsApps and emails revealed Mr Mandelson’s influence across Government, where he offered advice to ministers and lobbied for his own interests while savaging Mr Starmer behind his back.
