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Sir Keir Starmer in a Vanguard-class submarine yesterday |
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Rozina Sabur National Security Editor |
When Keir Starmer appears before MPs today, he is expected to stress that he appointed Lord Mandelson as his ambassador to Washington without knowing about the associated security concerns.
The Prime Minister said he was “furious” that he was kept in the dark about Lord Mandelson failing the vetting required for one of the Government’s most sensitive diplomatic posts.
However, as The Telegraph can reveal today, the concerns vetting officers raised were not substantially new. In fact, they were the same red flags previously raised in a due diligence dossier compiled for Starmer before Lord Mandelson’s appointment: namely, his links to Russia and China.
These same warning signs flagged in the dossier led UK Security Vetting to advise against granting him clearance. That recommendation was later overruled by Oliver Robbins, the former Foreign Office chief, who Starmer fired last week.
One Whitehall source with knowledge of the process said: “The reality is that Starmer had already been warned about the major risks and he had waved them away.”
Lord Mandelson was sacked after new information emerged about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein |
In the aftermath of Robbins’s sacking, a furious briefing war has broken out in Whitehall.
Allies of Robbins (who will give his own account to MPs tomorrow) point to the fact that No 10 had already been alerted to, and dismissed, concerns over Lord Mandelson’s foreign ties. They argue he felt compelled to grant Lord Mandelson clearance since the risks had already been “priced in”.
Defenders of the Prime Minister, by contrast, argue that the developed vetting process carries far greater weighting than the due diligence report he was shown. They claim that this more stringent process is used to determine any national security risks.
Nevertheless, critics remain puzzled as to why Starmer failed to interrogate officials thoroughly before assuring the public that Lord Mandelson had received clearance after intensive security vetting.
For a man who loves procedure, there is a bitter irony that a systems failure could unravel Starmer’s premiership.
This exclusive reporting is available only to subscribers.
Continue reading ➤
The five ways MPs could oust the PM ➤
Labour peer tells Starmer to resign ➤ |
Erling Haaland had his shirt torn by Gabriel Magalhaes shortly after scoring |
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Jason Burt Chief Football Correspondent |
This was the game of the season. The game that would define the campaign and decide the Premier League title race.
Manchester City against Arsenal turned into the kind of epic drama that, just as we feel the Premier League might be becoming predictable, reminds us why it is such a compelling competition.
We could not have asked for more as we also, probably, saw the goal of the season from City’s Rayan Cherki.
“It was a good advert,” said Pep Guardiola, City’s manager. His confident demeanour, compared to the brittleness of Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta, appeared to sum up the difference between the two teams.
As did the way Erling Haaland dominated Arsenal centre-half Gabriel Magalhaes, who tried to turn it into a physical battle and should have been sent off for an attempted headbutt.
So desperate was Magalhaes to stop Haaland, who scored the winner, he ripped the City striker’s shirt in two.
It slipped from Magalhaes’s and Arsenal’s grasp. The defender was left holding nothing, a rag, and it felt symbolic of this title race. Are they destined to finish second for an incredible fourth season in a row?
Arsenal are still top and although they are losing their grip, it is in their hands as much as City’s. If they can recover from this, that is.
Gloriously, that is the way it should be for the two best teams towards the end of the season.
Continue reading ➤ |
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Tom Harris Labour MPs know who the Prime Minister is, but the feeling is not mutual Continue reading ➤
Matthew Lynn It’s too late to stop a summer of air travel chaos Continue reading ➤
Tim Stanley Don’t laugh at the Greens: they’re Stalin with a nose ring Continue reading ➤ |
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Even Donald Trump’s former political allies are calling for him to be removed from power |
In just over a week, Donald Trump has threatened to wipe out Iranian civilisation, picked fights with the Pope and shared an image of himself as Jesus, prompting even parts of his own Maga base to question his state of mind. The 25th Amendment – the constitutional mechanism for removing a sitting president – has returned to public debate, but, despite the noise, it remains all but impossible to use. Benedict Smith and Ben Stockton explain why. Continue reading ➤ |
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Craig and Sarah Barratt complained to the Doha Ritz-Carlton about harassment Sarah had suffered |
When his wife was sexually harassed while on holiday at the Ritz Carlton in Doha, the complaints Craig Barratt made fell on deaf ears. It then turned into a nightmare for both of them, which culminated in Craig being arrested, put in jail and deported, and effectively banned from working in the Middle East, where he had a contract. Back in the UK, he found he had nowhere to turn. Now, with his career in ruins, he tells our writer Nigel Richardson about his burning sense of injustice. Continue reading ➤ |
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Far from the glitzy high-level peace talks, Andriy Pasternak deals directly with Russia |
Some of Ukraine’s negotiators meet their Russian counterparts in glitzy hotels, writes Joe Barnes, our Brussels Correspondent. Andriy Pasternak travels through drone-infested kill zones to reach the front line and meet with the enemy to arrange prisoner-of-war exchanges. Few Ukrainians can convince the Russians to stop the mortar fire, but Pasternak is able to organise mini-ceasefires on the front with a single phone call. In a rare interview, he let me in on a little-known part of the direct talks between Ukraine and Russia. For subscribers only ➤ |
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A firebomb thrown into a synagogue in Harrow is the latest in a rapid succession of attacks targeting Jewish-linked sites across north London, and counter-terror police fear that the perpetrators may not be acting alone. Investigators believe that criminal proxies are being offered “quick cash” to carry out these acts of violence on behalf of Iran. As incidents mount, it raises the prospect of a system where ideology is outsourced and attacks are effectively commissioned on British streets. Albert Tait reports. Continue reading ➤ |
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Our reader has fought an 18-month bureaucratic battle for her rights |
As if watching her husband sentenced to prison for a crime committed before they met wasn’t devastating enough for our reader, she then found herself trapped in a Kafkaesque nightmare. BT refused to cancel her husband’s £22-a-month TNT Sports package, despite her having legal powers to manage his accounts. After 18 months of unhelpful advice from the telecoms giant, it took our consumer champion Ruth Emery only one day to put things right. Continue reading ➤ |
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We compare prices and perks of six popular memberships for family days out |
Securing unlimited access to Britain’s rich trove of manicured gardens and stately homes is a tantalising prospect. However, with lifetime memberships often costing thousands of pounds, picking the one that’s right one for you is essential. To help you decide, Telegraph Money compares six of the most compelling deals. Continue reading ➤ Below is one more article that I hope will improve your day:
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Caption competition with... |
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Matt Pritchett Cartoon |
Hello. Thank you all for your submissions this week, we had a record number of entries. My favourite was Colin Atkinson’s above. I’ll have a new competition for you next week – hold tight. P.S. For an inside look at what inspires my weekly cartoons, you can sign up for my personal subscriber-exclusive newsletter here. |
Cabin pressureEvery weekday, Orlando Bird, our loyal reader correspondent, shares an off-piste topic that has brought out the best of your opinions and stories. Orlando writes...
Drinking and flying: I’m a fan. There’s plenty to dislike about plane travel these days, but a pint at the airport, plus a mid-air brightener (or two), make the whole thing more civilised.
Clearly, though, there are limits. Denis Dickinson wrote: “On a recent 6am flight from Edinburgh to Malaga, several passengers consumed alcohol to such excess that they became visibly unsteady and required assistance simply to stand and walk. Upon landing, they struggled to descend the aircraft stairs, causing considerable delays for everyone on board. Surely it is time for stricter enforcement.”
In my experience, Telegraph readers are broadly sympathetic to the principle of live and let live, or quaff and let quaff, but John Edmondson found himself reading Denis’s letter in “resigned agreement”. He wrote: “I cannot understand what possesses airlines to serve such quantities of alcohol so early in the morning, or why people should want to consume so much. Surely one glass of Buck’s fizz with the breakfast tray is enough to celebrate the start of one’s holiday.”
I suspect the really pie-eyed fliers tend to get going before take-off, so there’s something to be said for Jane Drysdale’s suggestion: “How about stopping intoxicated passengers from boarding in the first place?” Should airlines take a tougher approach to booze? Send your responses here and the best of the bunch will feature in a future edition of this newsletter.
Please confirm in your reply that you are happy to be featured and that we have your permission to use your name. |
West Mercia Police footage of a gang member |
A balaclava-clad gang who stole luxury cars, cash and jewellery in one of Britain’s biggest burglary sprees have been jailed. What was the total value of the stolen items?
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Find as many words as you can in today’s Panagram, including the nine-letter solution. Visit Telegraph Puzzles to play a range of head-scratching games, including The 1% Club, Cogs, and Quick, Mini or Cryptic Crosswords.
Yesterday’s Panagram was ALLEVIATE. Come back tomorrow for the solution to today’s puzzle. |
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Thank you for reading. Have a fulfilling day and I hope to see you tomorrow. Chris Evans, Editor |
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