Key takeaways from senior official on Mandelson vetting

Key takeaways from senior official on Mandelson vetting48 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleBecky MortonPolitical reporterUK ParliamentCat Little, the most senior civil servant at the Cabinet Office, has been giving evidence to the Commons foreign affairs committee about the vetting of Lord Mandelson.The peer was given security clearance for the role of UK ambassador to the US, despite concerns being raised by vetting officials.The prime minister went on to sack him in September last year, after new information came to light about the depth of his relationship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.Little's appearance follows evidence from Sir Olly Robbins, who was sacked as the top civil servant at the Foreign Office last week after the department's decision to grant Lord Mandelson clearance emerged.Here are the key points from her evidence to MPs. Key evidence from sacked official at heart of Mandelson vetting rowKey points from Starmer's Mandelson statementWhat we know about Mandelson's vetting and security clearance'Due process' was followedOn 10 September 2025 - the day before Lord Mandelson was sacked - Sir Keir Starmer told the House of Commons three times that "full due process" was followed during the peer's appointment. The prime minister says that at the time, he was unaware that the Foreign Office had granted him security clearance against the advice of UK Security Vetting (UKSV), a specialist agency within the Cabinet Office.Opposition parties have said Parliament was misled - but Sir Keir has continued to insist that "full due process" was followed.This position was echoed by Little, who told MPs: "My view is that due process was followed... because the process as I've outlined to the committee, is that UKSV make a recommendation, and the Foreign Office make a decision as to whether to grant DV [developed vetting]."This is not surprising, since civil servant...