LONDON: Britain’s parliament will vote on Tuesday on launching an inquiry into Prime Minister Keir Starmer to determine whether he misled the House of Commons over the appointment of former US ambassador Peter Mandelson.
Any such inquiry could have serious implications for Starmer’s future. If the prime minister is found to have knowingly misled parliament, his position would likely become untenable.
House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle said he approved a request from opposition Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch for a debate and vote on whether the Committee of Privileges should investigate the matter.
The controversy stems from Starmer’s decision to hire Mandelson, who was fired last September after his relationship with the late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was found to be deeper than previously known.
The incident has raised doubts about Starmer’s judgement, particularly after it was revealed a security vetting body was leaning against granting clearance for the appointment — a decision foreign ministry officials overruled without telling the prime minister.
A spokesperson from Starmer’s office described the push for a vote as a “desperate political stunt” ahead of local elections on May 7.
The government also published a letter from a former senior civil servant saying he concluded “that appropriate processes were followed”. If approved, the inquiry would focus on Starmer’s statements that due process was followed when hiring Mandelson.
The same committee found that former prime minister Boris Johnson had knowingly misled parliament over parties held during Covid, a report that preceded his resignation.
Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2026