Starmer was told to vet Mandelson first. So why didn’t he?

The News Agents podcast examines the political fallout surrounding Keir Starmer's appointment of Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador to Washington, despite Mandelson failing the vetting process. The episode traces how Starmer was warned in November 2024 by senior civil servant Simon Case to conduct vetting before announcing the appointment, yet proceeded with the announcement in December 2024. The controversy intensified when it emerged that Ollie Robbins, head of the Foreign Office, had decided Mandelson failed vetting but chose not to inform Starmer, citing the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act. Starmer’s subsequent statement in the Commons admitted his judgment was flawed, took responsibility, and apologized for the misjudgment, but failed to convincingly explain why he ignored the advice to vet first or why the appointment was not subject to vetting in the official announcement. The hosts argue that while Starmer likely didn’t willfully lie, his lack of curiosity, poor oversight, and failure to follow up on early red flags reveal deeper systemic issues in his leadership. The episode concludes that Starmer’s handling has damaged his credibility, with opposition leaders seizing on the scandal to undermine him ahead of local elections, though no immediate leadership challenge is expected.