LONDON — UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer rejected calls for his resignation in Parliament over the botched security vetting of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington, while admitting he was wrong to make the appointment. Starmer told MPs he would have withdrawn the appointment had he known the Foreign Office overruled security officials' recommendations.

"It was frankly staggering that I had not been told about Mandelson's failure to gain security clearance," Starmer said. Starmer also said that "due process was followed" in the appointment.

Mandelson's appointment was announced in December 2024, and he took up the post in February 2025. He was sacked seven months later after documents released by a United States Congressional committee revealed new details about the depth of his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender whose friendship with Mandelson was long known.

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch challenged Starmer's account of the vetting process. "It doesn't appear that he asked any questions at all. Why? Because he didn't want to know," Badenoch said. She also said: "He threw government officials under the bus."

Defending the prime minister, Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones said: "We're not arguing about the judgement. The prime minister has said he's made the wrong call. He's apologised." He added: "Peter Mandelson didn't come up once."

Starmer pushed back against suggestions of discontent within his party. "What you never hear from are all the people who are supportive, loyal and just want to get on with the job. And that is the vast majority of people in the parliamentary Labour party," he said. He also said: "That is not how the vast majority of people in this country expect politics, government or accountability to work."

Morgan McSweeney, Starmer's former chief of staff, resigned in February over his role in the hiring of Mandelson and is expected to appear before the foreign affairs committee on Tuesday to be questioned over the appointment. Olly Robbins was ousted from his position as a top Foreign Office civil servant on the same day that revelations on the vetting process were published.