"There is a systemic failure to do proper vetting, to go through the proper procedures and to actually have, in my view, what should be public hearings for anybody who is going to be in a senior position representing the British government, he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. Writing in the Guardian, Brown said he greatly regrets making Mandelson a peer and bringing him back into government in 2008 as business secretary."
"Prime minister Keir Starmer has said a very significant volume of material related to his appointment of Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador to the US will need to be reviewed before any documents can be released. Starmer believes the documents will prove Mandelson lied about the extent of his relationship with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during the vetting process before he was given the top diplomatic job in Washington last year."
Gordon Brown described a systemic failure in the vetting and appointment procedures for senior government roles, citing inadequate checks and the absence of public hearings for high-profile representatives. Brown expressed regret for making Peter Mandelson a peer and reappointing him in 2008, saying he had been told Mandelson's record was unblemished and that he did not know of any links to Jeffrey Epstein. Keir Starmer said a large volume of material related to Mandelson's appointment will need review before release and believes documents may show Mandelson lied about the extent of his relationship with Epstein. Police advised against early document release to avoid prejudicing any investigation.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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