Mandelson not given in-depth vetting before appointment, says Foreign Office

"Peter Mandelson was not subject to in-depth security vetting prior to his appointment as ambassador to Washington, the government has said. The Cabinet Office conducted a due diligence process on Mandelson before he was chosen for the role but this was not a security check, the Foreign Office said in a letter to MPs. Mandelson went through the ambassadorial appointment process, including in-depth national security vetting, only after his appointment had been announced to the public."

"Emily Thornberry, the committee's Labour chair, asked whether those vetting Mandelson had been told to overlook the glaring national security and reputational risk he posed. Did the Cabinet Office miss the glaring red flag of Lord Mandelson's relationship with Epstein, or did it fail to pass those concerns on? she asked during a three-hour Commons debate on Mandelson's appointment. Thornberry argued that the scandal could have been avoided if her committee had been allowed to question Mandelson before he was appointed,"

Cabinet Office carried out a due diligence process on Peter Mandelson before his selection as ambassador, but that process was not a security check. The Foreign Office was not asked to contribute to the propriety and ethics team's due diligence. Mandelson underwent full developed national security vetting only after his appointment had been publicly announced and received clearance before taking up the post in Washington on 10 February. The foreign secretary and a senior official disclosed the sequence, prompting questions about rigour in the appointment. Emily Thornberry criticised the process, citing alleged links to Epstein and noting pre-appointment committee questioning was denied. Mandelson was sacked after emails were published showing support for Epstein.

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