A Government admission confirms that seven civil servants, along with an unspecified number of security officials, were aware of concerns raised during the vetting of US Ambassador Peter Mandelson before Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was informed.

National Security Breach

The confidential vetting file was leaked shortly after the Prime Minister received a briefing, leading to accusations of a “grievous breach of national security” and calls for prosecution. Opposition figures allege that Sir Keir Starmer misled Parliament and the public regarding the matter.

Timeline of Events

More than half a dozen civil servants knew about the vetting controversy before Prime Minister Starmer was briefed. The Government acknowledges that seven individuals, in addition to security officials, were aware of the red flags during background checks on the US Ambassador.

The confidential file was initially given to Cat Little, the Permanent Secretary to the Cabinet Office, as part of the process following a parliamentary vote to publish documents related to the Mandelson scandal.

Ms. Little informed Dame Antonia Romeo, the UK’s top civil servant, and sought legal advice after learning of the file in late March. She was later questioned by MPs about the extent of information sharing within Whitehall before briefing Sir Keir two weeks ago.

Leak Investigation

Between March 25 and April 14, seven individuals – excluding essential security officials – were made aware of the vetting summary document’s contents as part of the Humble Address compliance process, according to a letter from the Cabinet Office to the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Just two days after Ms. Little and Dame Antonia informed the Prime Minister, details of the file were leaked to The Guardian. An investigation is underway to identify the source of the leak.

Sir Olly Robbins, a former Foreign Office mandarin, has called for prosecutions, describing the leak as a “grievous breach of national security.” The Cabinet Office stated that the maximum penalty for leaking such sensitive information could be two years’ imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine.

Political Fallout

Shadow Cabinet Office minister Mike Wood criticized the handling of the scandal, stating, “Either Keir Starmer lied about Mandelson’s vetting, or he is totally incompetent. Or both.” He further accused Starmer of misleading Parliament and attempting to shift blame.

A Government spokesman declined to comment on the ongoing leak investigation, stating, “We do not comment on live leak investigations.”