The Guardian
Darren Jones says he has ordered an urgent review into news that the Foreign Office ignored security vetting advice Sir Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, is among voices calling for the PM to go. He has said even if the prime minister’s explanation - that he was unaware of the Foreign Office’s decision to overrule Mandelson’s failed vetting until this week – is “true”, he should still resign. I don’t think the prime minister can get out of his responsibility by sacking Olly Robbins - the buck has to stop with Mr Starmer. I think frankly it’s inconceivable on such a sensitive matter the permeant secretary at the Foreign Office wouldn’t have referred to ministers on this. Let’s imagine they are telling the truth and they did only just learn about this on Tuesday what does that say about the Governmenet and how they operate? It means people around the prime minister were hiding critical information from him and he took this decision without meeting Mandelson, without knowing about his failed security but knowing about Mandelson’s reputation. It’s hard to believe it was inadvertent, it stretches credibility, but even if that is a true story it shows there was total negligence and incompetence at the top of his government... The PM held the Conservatives to account when he was in opposition when Boris Johnson was clearly lying over partygate and Keir Starmer called for all the accountability and called for Boris Johnson to go... but I’m afraid now he he has to take his own medicine. All the evidence suggests he has to go. It is utterly unacceptable, not just in the individual case of Peter Mandelson and respect of the Prime Minister’s fury at the Foreign Office for not having taught him this information, but the very fact that their processes were in place that allow for that to happen in the first place. That’s why in my role in the Cabinet Office, immediately last night, I suspended the rights for these organisations to make these judgments. As soon as I found out last night that the Foreign Office and a small number of other organisations have the right to ignore the recommendation… I immediately suspended those rights and ordered an urgent audit. Continue reading...
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