Starmer Scrapes Through First Test in Day of Mandelson Trials
Philip Barton during a Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on April 28.
Keir Starmer’s former chief of staff denied pressuring officials to approve Peter Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to the US, helping the UK prime minister approach a crucial vote in Parliament on the saga without major new reputational blows.
Morgan McSweeney, who left government in February amid the uproar, acknowledged to members of the Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday that his advice in favor of appointing Mandelson was a “serious mistake.” Still, the architect of Starmer’s 2024 election victory said that he hadn’t sought to force the appointment through without rigorous checks.