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Key events
One the central characters in the latest uproar over the failure in Peter Mandelson’s vetting is Sir Olly Robbins, a former member of the Foreign Office who was forced to quit on Thursday after new revelations about the process were revealed by the Guardian.
With Robbins due to appear before a committee of senior MPs next week, new information about how the process failed is expected to emerge. But what do Robbins know, and how was such a colossal mistake allowed to happen?
Daniel Boffey’s analysis of Robbins, his role in the process and what his now former colleagues think of him is an important read ahead of any bombshells that may come out of next weeks grilling.
The news of Peter Mandelson failing his vetting process has left many across the UK astonished, including members of Keir Starmer’s cabinet.
A new report from the Guardian details how senior government ministers were reported as feeling “pure, unbelievable shock” at the revelations that Mandelson still found his way back into government despite the extent of his relationship with Epstein coming to light before his appointment.
You can read the full report from Kiran Stacey, Paul Lewis and Pippa Crerar below:
Opening summary
Hello and welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of UK politics on Saturday 18 April.
Keir Starmer is facing “judgment day” according to senior government figures over the failure in Peter Mandelson’s vetting process.
The prime minister has said that was “staggered” and “furious” to have not been told about the vetting recommendation, saying that the lack of communication about the matter was unforgivable.
His government has also denied that the cabinet secretary, Antonia Romeo, and Catherine Little, the Cabinet Office’s permanent secretary, were “sitting on” the information, despite both having become aware of the situation last month.
Next week, Starmer will face what is being described as a “judgment day” as Olly Robbins, who was forced to quit the Foreign Office owing to the fallout of the failures of Mandleson’s vetting, is expected to appear before a powerful committee of MPs.
Robbins is understood to have been furious at being forced out, and there are fears that his side of events could leave Starmer, who is already facing fresh calls to resign, in an even more precarious situation.
You can read our latest report from my colleague and Guardian political editor Pippa Crerar here:
In other developments:
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Green Party MP Hannah Spencer has criticised Labour for “offensively caricaturing” working-class people by stating that they would not want a ban on greyhound racing in England.
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The government has refused to pay for over half of the compensation claims made by victims of the Windrush scandal.
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More than half of British voters would choose to rejoin the EU in a hypothetical future referendum, according to new research.
We’ll bring you the latest developments on the Mandelson scandal, and other political stories, throughout the day…
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