Unanswered

The foreign affairs select committee meets this week to discuss next steps and there are concerns any conclusions reached at this stage may be prematureThe parliamentary inquiry into Peter Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador has heard more than 77,000 words of evidence from five of the most senior officials and advisers in government. Yet, as MPs on the foreign affairs select committee meet this week to discuss next steps, there are concerns that key questions remain unanswered.The committee’s investigation has been hampered by a lack of documentary evidence, amid concerns that the government is not adhering to the terms of a parliamentary motion that ordered the release of “all papers” relating to the appointment. Continue reading...

How did the PM’s chosen US ambassador fail security vetting but still get approved, what exactly did he know, and who is to blame?Downing Street has tried to do a lot of explaining, as has Keir Starmer himself. But there are still plenty of things we do not know about how Peter Mandelson failed security vetting, and what the prime minister did or did not know about it. Continue reading...