STORY: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday (April 20) foreign office officials did not inform him, or any ministers, that they had granted security clearance to former U.S. ambassador Peter Mandelson against the vetting agency's recommendation in January 2025.

Starmer apologised again to victims of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and said Mandelson should never have been appointed as the UK's ambassador to the U.S., adding that his judgment was wrong.

Mandelson, 72, was sacked in September after revelations about the depth of his ties to the late U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and Starmer apologised for appointing him in the first place.

But the government said last week it had found out that Mandelson had failed a security vetting process carried out before he took up his post in February 2025, heaping pressure on Starmer, whose popularity has sunk since he won a huge majority for Labour at a national election in 2024.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

UK's Starmer says his judgement was wrong as he faces parliament over Mandelson vetting

VIDEO SHOWS: BRITAIN'S PRIME MINISTER KEIR STARMER SPEAKING IN PARLIAMENT

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (APRIL 20, 2026) (PARLIAMENT TV - News and current affairs use only. Cannot be used for light entertainment or satirical purposes. Party political broadcast usage must be cleared with PBU.)

1. BRITAIN'S PRIME MINISTER, KEIR STARMER STANDING TO BEGIN STATEMENT (NOT A SOUNDBITE)

2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITAIN'S PRIME MINISTER, KEIR STARMER, SAYING:

“Before I go into the details, I want to be very clear with this House that while this statement will focus on the process surrounding Peter Mandelson’s vetting an appointment, at the heart of this, there is also a judgment I made that was wrong. I should not have appointed Peter Mandelson. I take responsibility for that decision. And I apologise again to the victims of the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, who were clearly failed by my decision.”

3. WHITE FLASH

4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITAIN'S PRIME MINISTER, KEIR STARMER, SAYING:

“Mr. Speaker, last Tuesday evening, the 14th of April, I found out for the first time that on the 29th of January 2025, before Peter Mandelson took up his position as ambassador, the foreign office officials granted him developed vetting clearance against the specific recommendation of the United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) that developed vetting clearance should be denied. Not only that, the foreign office officials who made that decision did not pass this information to me, to the Foreign Secretary, to her predecessor, the Deputy Prime Minister, to any other minister, or even to the former Cabinet Secretary, Sir Chris Wormald.”

5. WHITE FLASH

6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITAIN'S PRIME MINISTER, KEIR STARMER, SAYING:

“I made the decision to appoint him on the 18th of December, the appointment was announced on the 20th, and the security vetting process began on the 23rd of December 2024. Mr. Speaker, I want to make clear to the House that for a direct ministerial appointment, it was usual for security vetting to happen after the appointment, but before starting in post.”

7. WHITE FLASH

8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITAIN'S PRIME MINISTER, KEIR STARMER, SAYING:

“Then on the 28th of January 2025, UKSV recommended to the foreign office that developed vetting clearance should be denied to Peter Mandelson. The following day, on the 29th of January 2025. Notwithstanding the UKSV recommendation that developed vetting clearance should be denied, foreign office officials made the decision to grant developed vetting clearance for Peter Mandelson.”

9. WHITE FLASH

10. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITAIN'S PRIME MINISTER, KEIR STARMER, SAYING:

"I accept that the sensitive personal information provided by an individual being vetted must be protected from disclosure. If that were not the case, the integrity of the whole process would be compromised. What I do not accept is that the appointing minister cannot be told of the recommendation by UKSV."

11. WHITE FLASH

12. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITAIN'S PRIME MINISTER, KEIR STARMER, SAYING:

"So let me be very clear. The recommendation in the Peter Mandelson case could and should have been shared with me before he took up his post. Mr. Speaker, let me make a second point. If I had known before he took up his post that the UKSV recommendation was that developed vetting clearance should be denied, I would not have gone ahead with the appointment."

13. STARMER SPEAKING IN HOUSE OF COMMONS (NOT A SOUNDBITE)