A senior civil servant is set to be questioned about Lord Peter Mandelson’s vetting process, as Sir Keir Starmer faces mounting criticism from within in his own party over the scandal.
After Sir Olly Robbins appeared before the Foreign Affairs Select Committee on Tuesday to give damning evidence about the role Downing Street played in the appointment of Lord Mandelson as British ambassador to Washington, it will be the turn of Cat Little, the most senior Cabinet Office official, to appear before the same group of MPs on Thursday morning.
Ms Little last week told the Prime Minister that Lord Mandelson had been granted high-level security clearance despite vetting officials recommending against it. Ms Little had known since March about sensitive information linked to Lord Mandelson’s vetting.
Downing Street previously said there is “absolutely no suggestion” that Ms Little’s position as Cabinet Office permanent secretary is in question.
Cabinet divisions have emerged over Sir Keir’s handling of the process, including his decision to sack Foreign Office chief Sir Olly for failing to tell him about details of the vetting decision, according to multiple reports.
Meanwhile, Labour backbenchers have openly voiced doubts about Sir Keir’s future since it emerged last week the Foreign Office decided to appoint Lord Mandelson despite the fact he failed the vetting process.
However, a junior minister on Thursday said claims of a Cabinet split over the scandal are “a load of guff”.
Home Office minister Alex Norris also told LBC: “If I had a pound, certainly under the previous government, for the number of times I saw cabinet stories in the papers, my St George’s pints would probably be more multiple than there will be in reality.”
Responding to calls from Labour MP Jonathan Brash (Hartlepool) for the Prime Minister to step aside, Mr Norris insisted to Sky News that Sir Keir would lead Labour into the next election.
The minister added: “What I would say to Jonathan and to others is, look at what we delivered this month alone.”
He listed “huge decreases” in NHS waiting lists and lifting the two-child limit on benefits as among recent action by the Government, adding: “This is a Government that’s getting on with change, spearheaded by our Prime Minister, and we should be all pulling in that direction.”
On Wednesday, Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden repeatedly declined to say whether he believed the sacking of Sir Olly was fair.
As pressure mounts against the Prime Minister, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch is said to be pressing for his referral to the Privileges Committee claiming he misled MPs, the Times reported.
The same committee found former Prime Minister Boris Johnson lied to the Commons over so-called partygate.
The Tory leader has suggested Sir Keir misled the Commons when he said “due process” had been followed in the appointment of Lord Mandelson as British ambassador to the US, according to the newspaper.
He has denied misleading MPs.
Sir Keir’s former chief of staff Morgan McSweeney has also been summoned to appear before the Foreign Affairs Committee next week.
The row over Sir Olly’s sacking dominated the Prime Minister’s Questions clash with Kemi Badenoch.
He insisted Sir Olly’s evidence about Lord Mandelson exonerated him over accusations that he had misled MPs.
The mandarin’s testimony “puts to bed all the allegations levelled at me by those opposite in relation to dishonesty”, the Prime Minister said.
Sir Keir’s fate could be decided if Labour MPs move against him after May’s elections for English councils and the Scottish and Welsh parliaments.
YouGov projections indicated Labour was on course for disastrous results in its former London and Welsh strongholds.
