Starmer Faces Heat Over Mandelson Appointment

0:00On April 20, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces heat over appointing Peter Mandelson as ambassador without full vetting first. Scotland Secretary Douglas Alexander called it a clear mistake, saying the old process fell short and needed fixing right away. Now the government requires deep checks before any announcement. Starmer plans to address Parliament on Monday afternoon to explain why he missed that the foreign office had blocked Mandelson's initial vetting. Failure. Alexander noted they've already updated the rules to avoid repeats even before this blew up. Alexander backstarm her heart on the broadcast rounds, saying he expects the PM to lead labor into the next election and thinks he should. Opposition leaders demanded Starmer step down over the mess. The PM fired top foreign office civil servant Ali Robbins after details emerged that his team didn't flag the vetting issue. But former civil service chief Gus O'Donnell slammed the move in the times, warning it could chill honest advice from officials and spark a major rift between ministers and mandarins.

1:03Ministers hustled over the weekend to steady the ship, but insiders worry this week could make or break Starmer if fresh leaks hit or labor MPs turn. Skeptical. The stakes stay high as trust hangs in the balance.