Mel Stride calls on Labour MPs to 'grow a backbone' and back parliamentary sleaze inquiry into Keir Starmer

Georgia Pearce
Thu, 23 Apr 2026 09:38:08 +0000

Sir Mel Stride has demanded a Privileges Committee investigation into whether Sir Keir Starmer deceived Parliament regarding the appointment of Peter Mandelson as US Ambassador.

The Shadow Chancellor told GB News that testimony delivered by Olly Robbins on Tuesday "directly contradicts" assurances given by the Prime Minister in the Commons.

"Our belief is that the Prime Minister has misled Parliament, because what he's said in Parliament is that that pressure was not applied, and he's been contradicted by Olly Robbins," Sir Mel stated.

He described the situation as "a complete calamity" and argued there exists a compelling case for parliamentary scrutiny.

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According to Sir Mel, the former head of the civil service at the Foreign Office made clear during his parliamentary appearance that Downing Street exerted considerable pressure on the department to accelerate the appointment process.

"I would say that the evidence that Olly Robbins gave on Tuesday, in which he made it very clear that substantial pressure was applied by Number 10 on the Foreign Office to get this appointment sorted, there have been suggestions of some fairly fruity language, even in the robust nature of that pressure that was applied," the Shadow Chancellor said.

The testimony suggested Number 10 pushed forcefully for the Foreign Office to proceed with the appointment swiftly.

Sir Mel raised serious concerns about the Prime Minister's judgement in selecting Lord Mandelson for the Washington posting.

"He knew he'd been fired a couple of times in the past for inappropriate behaviour, the prime minister knew about his association with a convicted paedophile, Epstein," the Shadow Chancellor said.

He also highlighted that recent information indicates Lord Mandelson received the appointment before vetting procedures had been concluded.

"What we've seen more recently is information that tells us that he was appointed before the results of the vetting process were actually known," Sir Mel told GB News, questioning whether proper protocols had been observed.

Sir Mel issued a direct challenge to government backbenchers, urging them to back a parliamentary investigation.

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"If Labour MPs have got any backbone here, they need to go in and make that happen," he declared.

The Shadow Chancellor expressed doubt that the Prime Minister's reassurances to the House stood up to scrutiny.

"I think under those circumstances, it does seem to me that the Prime Minister should not be standing up in the House of Commons, reassuring members of Parliament that full process has been followed.

"I do not think that that stacks up," he said.

Speaking to GB News this morning, Home Office Minister Alex Norris leapt to the defence of Sir Keir Starmer, declaring he has "100 per cent faith" in the Prime Minister.

Mr Norris assured that if Sir Keir had "known what he knows today" about the disgraced peer, he "wouldn't have been appointed".

He told GB News: "The Prime Minister has been very clear about his sorrow as to that decision, we would not have made it if we had the information available today that we did then, and what has been made clear by multiple sessions in Parliament and select committees that what he said has been exactly how events transpired, his accountability is to Parliament.

"His accountability ultimately is to the British public, and he's getting on with that job of change with a cabinet united behind him."