Starmer's Vetting Scandal: Trust Shattered

0:00Europe news today, powered by AI bringing you what matters across Europe. I'm Cory with the story. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer dropped a bombshell in Parliament, calling it staggering that he was never told Lord Mandelson failed his security. Vettin checked for the U.S. Ambassador gig. Foreign office officials pushed through the top level clearance anyway, ignoring experts at U.K. security vetting, who said no go. Starmer made it clear, if he'd known, Mandelson wouldn't have gotten the nod to handle secret ducks. He fired the foreign office's top civil servant, Sir Ali Robbins, right after learning the truth last week. But Starmer owned the final call, emitting his judgment was off, and apologizing directly to Jeffrey Epstein's victims for letting this slide. The backlash is fierce, with opposition parties like the Tories accusing him of misleading parliament on due process. Even labor insiders are piling on, fearing it spells disaster for local elections in May, across England, Scotland, and Wales. Calls for his resignation are growing loud from all sides.

1:02Starmer only found out last Tuesday that officials deliberately withheld the failed vetting info from him, the foreign secretary and other key, players. He stressed this wasn't some slip-up, it was a choice to keep him in the dark, info, the whole house deserved way sooner. This mess exposes cracks and trust at the top, but Starmer's digging in, vowing better checks ahead while the fallout keeps rippling through. Westminster.