"Cooper made it clear that the Foreign Office was not involved in any due diligence prior to Lord Mandelson's appointment. However, formal security vetting is overseen by the Foreign Office which took place after Mandelson's appointment was made public. The FCDO Permanent Secretary Sir Oliver Robbins and the Foreign Secretary have now distanced themselves from the vetting process. This will place more pressure on Sir Keir Starmer."
"The Propriety and Ethics Team in the Cabinet Office (PET) conducted a due diligence process, prior to the announcement of Peter Mandelson's appointment on December 20, 2024 at the request of No10. "The FCDO was not asked to contribute to that process and no issues were raised with the FCDO as a result of this process. "This was not a security check. "After Peter Mandelson's appointment was announced, [the FCDO] started the ambassadorial appointment process, including National Security Vetting, in advance of him taking up his post."
The Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper attributed responsibility for Lord Peter Mandelson's appointment to Downing Street and said the Foreign Office did not carry out any due diligence before the appointment. Formal security vetting, overseen by the Foreign Office, occurred after the appointment became public. FCDO Permanent Secretary Sir Oliver Robbins and the Foreign Secretary distanced themselves from the pre-announcement vetting. A joint letter stated that the Cabinet Office Propriety and Ethics Team conducted due diligence at No10's request and that the FCDO was not asked to contribute. Opposition figures criticised the appointment and questioned the Prime Minister's judgment and accountability.
#lord-peter-mandelson #ambassador-appointment #due-diligence #national-security-vetting #political-accountability
Read at London Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com
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