On Tuesday evening, the Prime Minister was made aware that the Foreign Office had granted developed vetting status to former minister Peter Mandelson against the advice of security officials, according to documents released as part of the humble address process.
The revelation followed a report by The Guardian that senior civil servant Olly Robbins had been forced out of his position amid the vetting controversy surrounding Mandelson’s appointment.
In response to the allegations, the Prime Minister’s spokesperson stated that the leader had been reporting information he had received and followed, completely refuting suggestions that he had misled the public or Parliament.
The spokesperson emphasized that no minister is permitted to access vetting documents as a matter of principle, given the sensitive nature of the security investigations conducted by professionals.
The Foreign Office maintained that the Prime Minister was only informed of the development on Tuesday evening, when the documents became available to the Cabinet Office during the humble address procedure.
Security officials had previously advised against granting developed vetting status to Mandelson, but their recommendation was overridden by the Foreign Office.
The Prime Minister’s position remains that the situation does not reflect a failure of leadership, asserting that he acted on the information provided to him.
As of Wednesday morning, no further official comments have been issued by the Prime Minister’s office regarding the ongoing controversy.
