
No way to raise Mandelson concerns, former senior official says
Former senior civil servant Sir Philip Barton has told MPs there was no mechanism for him to raise concerns about Lord Mandelson's appointment as UK ambassador to the US in December 2024. Testifying to the Foreign Affairs Committee, the former FCDO permanent under-secretary said he was not consulted beforehand and was simply "told to get on with it" despite knowing about Mandelson's links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The appointment hasdogged Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for months, with MPs set to vote on whether there should be a parliamentary investigation into his claims about the vetting process.

