THE Foreign Office “stopped” an influential group of MPs from questioning Peter Mandelson despite longstanding concerns about his appointment as US ambassador, it has been claimed.
Chair of Westminster’s Foreign Affairs Committee Emily Thornberry claimed that the Government blocked her attempts to question Lord Mandelson in the Commons.
She tweeted: “Since the first rumours of his appointment, my committee has repeatedly asked – publicly and privately – to question Peter Mandelson. It is right that he has now been sacked.
“The [Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office] should not have stopped us from asking questions. The government should welcome such scrutiny.”
Her claim came less than an hour after it was announced in the Commons that Lord Mandelson had been sacked as US ambassador.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer stood by his handpicked appointment for the top diplomatic role on Wednesday, telling the Commons he had “confidence” in Lord Mandelson.
It was revealed later that day that the Labour peer, whose political career has been dogged by scandal, had urged the notorious paedophile Jeffrey Epstein (above) to seek early release from prison while he was under investigation for soliciting sex from a child.
Starmer is facing questions about what he knew about the extent of Lord Mandelson’s friendship with the late financier and child sex trafficker.
Lord Mandelson’s friendship with Epstein was well-known and well-documented before his appointment as ambassador to the United States.
Concerns were raised at the time owing to his connection with Epstein and the political nature of the appointment, one of the highest-profile diplomatic roles in the western world.
The Foreign Office was approached for comment.
