UK PM’s Former Chief Of Staff Admits ‘Serious Error’ Over Mandelson Appointment

Former UK PM chief of staff admits “serious error” in supporting Mandelson ambassador appointment, says he did not bypass procedures.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s former chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, has admitted he made a “serious error of judgment” in recommending the appointment of Peter Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador to the United States, while insisting he did not bypass any formal procedures.

McSweeney told a parliamentary committee on Tuesday that he believed Mandelson a veteran Labour politician would strengthen efforts to secure a trade agreement with the United States following Donald Trump’s return to the White House.

“The appointment of Mandelson as ambassador was a serious error of judgment. I advised the prime minister in support of that appointment and I was wrong to do so,” McSweeney said.

However, he firmly rejected claims of wrongdoing in the appointment process. He stated that he neither interfered with national security vetting nor instructed officials to skip required checks.

“What I did not do was oversee national security vetting, ask officials to ignore procedures, request that steps should be skipped, or communicate explicitly or implicitly that checks should be cleared at all costs,” he told the committee.

The comments add fresh scrutiny to the handling of senior diplomatic decisions under Starmer’s leadership, as opposition figures continue to question the selection process and political influence behind key roles