Keir Starmer launches urgent inquiry into Lord Mandelson vetting leak, PM's top ally confirms

Angela Rayner jokes about being 'hanging on every word' after watching Olly Robbins evidence

Ex-Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has joked about watching Sir Olly Robbins appearance at the Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee.

Speaking at the National Growth Debate in London, Ms Rayner joked that she too had been “glued to my live feed this morning, hanging on every word”, adding: “And I refer, of course to your panel, Louise Hague and Chris Curtis.”

Ms Rayner added: “I’ll let this sink in to any journalists that are here. There’s some more important questions out there, and it’s on that note that I want to just take a moment at the end of the day to reflect on why all this matters, and to the world outside and beyond the bubble.”

The Ashton-under-Lyne MP also said: “Right now, ordinary people feel that their lives are too hard and that the basics of a good life are unaffordable.

“They suspect that this is because of an economy and a system that is rigged in favour of vested interests, and they’re right.

“This affordability crisis has been decades in the making, over and over ordinary people feel that they’ve paid the price for every crisis, the financial crash, austerity, Brexit, Covid.”

'No pressure applied on Foreign Office,' claims No10

The Prime Minister's Chief Secretary has claimed "no pressure" was put on the Foreign Office to pass Lord Mandelson's security vetting.

Darren Jones told MPs: “There is suggestion that No 10 applied pressure on officials at the Foreign Office in relation to the security vetting process.

“It was confirmed in testimony today before the Foreign Affairs Select Committee that no such pressure was applied beyond asking for the process to be completed as quickly as possible, and by Sir Olly Robbins that no personal contact was made of him by a telephone or message.”.

RECAP: 'If he won't do the honourable thing, Labour MPs must oust Keir Starmer,' says Kemi Badenoch in blistering Commons speech

Kemi Badenoch has called on Labour MPs to oust Keir Starmer in a blistering speech to the House of Commons in a debate over the Lord Mandelson scandal.

The Leader of the Opposition said the idea that Downing Street is the victim of others not following due process is “laughable”, as she opened the emergency debate on the appointment of the former US ambassador.

She told the Commons Britain needs a Prime Minister who had a “grip” on the country, saying: “The decision about whether he will ultimately take responsibility for his actions is now up to Labour MPs.

“Labour MPs know that the Prime Minister has let the country down, he’s let Parliament down and he’s also let the Labour Party.

“It is clear to everyone except the Prime Minister himself that he has failed on his own terms.

“It is clear to the public that he is failing at the job, it is clear to civil servants that he is throwing them under the bus.

“And it is clear to members across this House that he is not fit to lead. This cannot go on.

“This House deserves better, the country deserves better, the Prime Minister is not fit for office.

“The first duty of any Prime Minister is to keep this country safe.

“This Prime Minister has put the country’s national security at risk. He must take responsibility, it is time for him to go.”

Veteran MP: Olly Robbins committee appearance 'one of the most remarkable that I’ve attended'

Olly Robbins's appearance at the Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee was "one of the more remarkable that I've attended", a veteran MP has admitted.

Ex-Culture Secretary Sir John Whittingdale, who was first elected to the House of Commons in 1992, said: “This morning’s Foreign Affairs Select Committee session lasted two-and-a-half hours and was certainly one of the more remarkable that I’ve attended.

“And I have been involved in a number of quite controversial select committee hearings over the years.”

He added: “Downing Street was absolutely determined that Lord Mandelson should become the ambassador of this country to the United States.

“Sir Olly (Robbins) told us that his predecessor had strongly advised that this should not happen until after the Developed Vetting process had been completed.

“Despite that advice from the permanent undersecretary, it was ignored.”

DUP MP accuses Labour of 'defending indefensible' 

DUP MP Carla Lockhart has accused Labour MPs of "defending the indefensible" following revelations about Lord Mandelson's appointment as the UK's Ambassador to the US.

She said: “The role of the Prime Minister is the highest honour in UK politics and demands sound judgement.

“The reality is there was no sound judgement when he did appoint a disgraced individual with two resignations and well-documented associations with a sex offender.

“What we hear from the Labour benches today is lambs to the slaughter. They are defending the indefensible.

“The general public are hearing that today and they are hearing how disgraced this place is at the decision of the Prime Minister to appoint Peter Mandelson.”

Labour MP demands inquiry into 'toxic' No10 after bombshell Olly Robbins evidence

A backbench Labour MP has called for a full, transparent inquiry into the “toxic” culture at No10.

Imran Hussain, the MP for Bradford East, hit out at "divisiveness" inside Downing Street.

He told the Commons: “At the heart of this is a toxic and dismissive culture at No 10. At some point we can not get away from it.

“That divisiveness has led us to this place. This is not a small administration breach, it is a matter of national security.

“The British public is not buying it. Surely we should be saying there needs to be a full transparent inquiry into this whole situation to uncover the truth. That’s what the British public want.”

Lord Doyle: 'I was never aware of ambassador role'

Ex-Downing Street spin doctor Lord Matthew Doyle has responded to Sir Olly Robbins's claim about No10 looking to appoint him for an ambassadorial role.

He claimed he had “never sought” such a role, adding: “I was never aware of anyone speaking to the FCDO about such a role for me.”

Ex-mandarin-turned-MP 'frankly furious' at Olly Robbins sacking

A former civil servant who now sits as a Liberal Democrat MP has said he was "frankly furious" after Sir Keir Starmer sacked Sir Olly Robbins last week.

Calum Miller said: “A distinguished civil servant has lost his position as the fall guy for the Prime Minister.

“I was proud to work with Sir Olly and I know the regard held for him by civil servants and ministers. So I am now frankly furious to use a word of the day to learn that a No 10 spokesman has just said that Sir Olly was ‘a man of integrity and professionalism who has made an error of judgment’.”

He added: “[The Prime Minister] has directed the full power of the state against one man... This state-led assault on one man is unprecedented and it is unacceptable.

“If the point of committing an error of judgment is to resign, why is the Prime Minister still in post?”

David Davis: Mandelson was 'greedy for money, greedy for glamour, greedy for status, greedy for power'

David Davis, Conservative MP for Goole and Pocklington accused No 10 of tolerating a "classic security risk" by pressing ahead with the appointment of Lord Mandelson despite serious concerns.

The Tory MP and former cabinet minister argued Lord Mandelson had already proven himself "greedy for money, greedy for glamour, greedy for status, greedy for power and willing to break the rules to get them".

He said: "Such a man is a classic security risk in the face of Russian or Chinese compromise, not to mention the risk posed by his known involvement with Epstein."

He was scathing about the pressure applied by Downing Street, saying: "No 10 has chosen to ignore these things and that's critical, because we've heard already about the pressure put on the Foreign Office over and over again."

Dr Luke Evans: 'The Prime Minister can't have it both ways'

Dr Luke Evans, the MP for Hinckley and Bosworth, said: "We in this House say neither can the Prime Minister be the blame lands on the subordinates, and the same again has happened here.

"In both cases, the controversy is not on the mechanics and constitutional responsibility resides acting on a settled Prime Ministerial preference.

"The Prime Minister can't have it both ways. He can't have decisive authority on the way in and plausible deniability on the way out. That's not process. That's power without accountability. If the decision was his, is it the responsibility his? And if not, why not?"

Matt Western: 'This Prime Minister is absolutely rock solid when it comes to process'

Matt Western, a British Labour Party politician serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Warwick and Leamington, said: "I am not a big fan of Peter Mandelson - I can assure you of that.

"But just a short year ago, many people in this house were praising him around the world for the deal that Mandelson managed to strike with the United States.

"This Prime Minister is absolutely rock solid when it comes to process. For those members who backed Boris Johnson, who accepted his lies in this place, or accepted the word of Liz Truss and that catastrophic kamikaze budget - that would be the question of judgment on process.

"He is a man of utmost decency and would never, ever lie, because he knows that his credibility rests on that.

"When the Leader of the Opposition speaks of Number 10, I think she may be conflating the Prime Minister with the team around him. The Prime Minister clearly delegated responsibilities to his chief of staff — and it is important to differentiate between the two."

'That is the original sin' - Ed Davey blames Keir Starmer's cosying up to President Trump for Peter Mandelson appointment 

The Leader of the Liberal Democrats said: ""Our party urged the Prime Minister to stand up to Trump, stand together with our allies, to approach him from a position of strength, not weakness.

"But he chose the opposite course - he decided to try and appease Trump, to flatter Trump, to stroke Trump's ego and hope he'd be nice to us in return.

"Clearly, he thought Peter Mandelson was the man for that job. That decision to try and curry favour with Trump rather than standing up to him.

"That is the original sin as to why we're in this mess today."

Ed Davey: 'How utterly depressing it is that we are having this debate'

Sir Ed Davey, Leader of the Liberal Democrats said: "How utterly depressing it is that we're having to have this debate at all — just a few years after we went through all this under Boris Johnson and the Conservatives, and less than two years after the British people voted them out of office for indulging in this sort of chaos and distraction."

"Vladimir Putin is waging war on our continent. Donald Trump is waging war with Iran. We desperately need to strengthen our own national defences.

"Families and businesses are struggling against the cost of living crisis and people are really worried about what Trump's war will mean for their holidays this summer, and their energy and food bills this winter."

"We have constituents waiting weeks to see a GP, people who are dying on corridors in our hospitals, loved ones who aren't getting the care they need.

"We should be talking about them today."

Jon Trickett offers reason why Keir Starmer was so focused on appointing Peter Mandelson 

Jon Trickett Labour MP said: "What did we learn from Sir Olly today?

"Why was it that a group of people in No10 and possibly the Prime Minister as well felt that that level of pressure should be placed on the Foreign Office in favour of appointing Mandelson?

"The political unit in No10, possibly the Prime Minister, wanted Mandelson because he was their close political ally and because he was plugged into a vast international network of what we might call the 'Billionaire class'.

"Much of the network of wealth which Mandelson was plugging into was, and so was the President by the way, centred around Epstein."

'He's let the country down' - Kemi Badenoch concludes scathing attack on Prime Minister 

The Leader of the Opposition has attacked Sir Keir Starmer beyond the Peter Mandelson scandal.

She said: "He appears to have no interest in doing the job of Prime Minister, just being the Prime Minister."

"We cannot trust our Prime Minister to tell the truth about this ambassadorial appointment, it calls into question the assurances he gives us on everything else.

"His promise is to control taxes which he has broken.

"His promise to not to raise borrowing which he has broken.

"Promises to back business, protect our veterans, defend our farmers and prioritize growth, all of which he has broken."

"The Prime Minister has let the country down, he's let Parliament down and he's also let the Labour Party down."

​Kemi Badenoch: 'I cannot fathom how the Prime Minister can still claim not to have misled the House'

Kemi Badenoch said: "I cannot fathom how the Prime Minister can still claim not to have misled the House.

"Lord O'Donnell warned that the Prime Minister has created one of the worst crises in relations between ministers and mandarins of modern times.

"He said that the sacking of Sir Olly Robbins 'risks having a serious and sustained chilling effect on serving and prospective civil servants'.

"Another former cabinet secretary, Lord Butler, has said the Prime Minister put Sir Olly in an 'impossible position'."

WATCH: Sir Keir Starmer absent from debate - 'no surprise' says Kemi Badenoch

The Leader of the Opposition pointed out Sir Keir Starmer is not present at the debate.

Kemi Badenoch said to the Commons: "It is no surprise the Prime Minister is not here today. These are difficult questions. He cannot claim not to have known about the risk Mandelson posed because he saw the due diligence that disclosed it.

"He cannot deny that his decision put Britain at risk and the British public deserve to know how this failure happened, and they deserve to hear it from the Prime Minister himself."

Leader of the Opposition: 'This is no longer about what the Prime Minister was or wasn't told' 

Kemi Badenoch said: "Now, the Prime Minister might have refused to answer my question around his knowledge of Mandelson's links to the Russian defense company yesterday, but that is only because he knows we know the answer.

"This is no longer just about what the Prime Minister was or wasn't told.

"This is about what he did before the vetting process had even started, and we now know that Mandelson wasn't a one off, according to Sir Olly Robbins - No10 also asked for the disgraced Matthew Doyle the Prime Minister's then director of communications to be made an ambassador."

Kemi Badenoch: 'I cannot overstate how serious a matter this is'

The Leader of the Opposition opened the debate: "I cannot overstate how serious a matter this is.

"The Prime Minister sent a known security risk to Washington to a position where he would see our most important allies' top secret intelligence.

"What if he had seen something and leaked it to one of our enemies? How much would that have damaged our security?"

Stormont raises concerns over own political appointments after Peter Mandelson scandal 

Stormont's leaders have called for urgent answers over the security vetting process used in the appointment of former police ombudsman Marie Anderson in Northern Ireland.

First Minister Michelle O'Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little Pengelly urged the Government to provide clarity after DUP leader Gavin Robinson claimed Ms Anderson had been appointed to the role in 2019 "despite security concerns".

Ms Anderson, who was responsible for investigating complaints against police officers, retired at the end of 2025.

Mr Robinson raised the issue in the Commons on Monday as Sir Keir Starmer faced questions about the vetting of Lord Peter Mandelson.

The DUP leader said it was "incredible to learn that in Northern Ireland a political appointment was made following the refusal to clear an individual for security access".

Six of the most important things we learned from the grilling of ex-Foreign Office boss

Sir Olly Robbins sat through an intense two and a half hours of grilling by the Foreign Affairs Select Committee over his handling of the Lord Peter Mandelson appointment. Here are GB News' key takeaways:

1. No10 exerted 'constant pressure' on Foreign Office

2. Sir Olly 'regretted' Prime Minister did not change course after due diligence report findings

3. Sir Keir requested ambassadorial role for disgraced Lord Matthew Doyle

4. Lord Mandelson's relationship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein NOT reason for vetting denial

5. Sir Olly contested Prime Minister's claim he would of blocked Lord Mandelson appointment if was aware of vetting outcome

6. Sir Olly claimed he did not see vetting documents himself

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE.

House of Commons emergency debate imminent 

Sir Keir Starmer is about to face an emergency debate on Lord Mandelson's appointment as the UK's Ambassador to the US following an application by Tory leader Kemi Badenoch.

After an intense grilling of ex-Foreign Office boss, Sir Olly Robbins, this morning, there is fresh evidence the Prime Minister will have to face.

Stay tuned for live updates of the debate.

WATCH: Nigel Farage says he 'does not accept' Keir Starmer's version of events after Olly Robbins's 'damning' evidence

Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, said he "does not accept" Sir Keir Starmer's version of events after Sir Olly Robbins's 'damning' evidence this morning during the Foreign Affairs Select Committee.

'Starmer to go' - Ed Davey responds to Sir Olly Robbins grilling 

In response to Sir Olly Robbin's appearance in front of the Foreign Affairs Committee where it was revealed Sir Keir Starmer tried to make his former Director of Communications, Matthew Doyle, who had publicly supported a paedophile, an ambassador, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said: “This is incredibly damning for Keir Starmer.

“Not content with appointing Peter Mandelson as US ambassador despite his links to Epstein, he tried to appoint another man with a known friendship with a sex offender.

“This is not just a lapse in judgement, it’s a pattern of behaviour.

“Every day this scandal gets worse, and it becomes clearer that the only way to draw a line under it is for Starmer to go.”

An explosive two and a half hours: the Foreign Affairs Select Committee grilling of Sir Olly Robbins is over

After two and a half hours, Emily Thornberry closed the Foreign Affairs Select Committee session.

The grilling was intense for Sir Olly, which unfortunately coincided with his birthday yesterday.

This afternoon, MPs will be heading to the Commons for a 1:30pm start for the emergency debate called by the Tory leader, Kemi Badenoch on the matter.

Prime Minister should of been clearer on Peter Mandelson appointment with civil service, says Sir Olly Robbins 

Sir Olly Robbins suggested No10 should have made its conditions clearer to those tasked with carrying out the Lord Peter Mandelson appointment.

When pressed on Sir Keir Starmer's Commons claim that he would "not have gone ahead" with the appointment had he known vetting had been recommended for denial, Sir Olly said: "I'm not here to attack the Prime Minister, I'm here to help the committee."

He added that he could only go on the official record and said "it would be nice if the record showed that he had required his office and his team to make that stipulation more explicitly clear to those of us who were then charged with trying to make this happen".

Keir Starmer wanted Lord Matthew Doyle to have ambassadorial role, says Sir Olly Robbins

Slightly aside from the focus on Lord Peter Mandelson, Sir Olly Robbins revealed that No10 pressured him to find an ambassadorial role for Lord Matthew Doyle, Keir Starmer's then-director of communications, while instructing him to keep it secret from the Foreign Secretary, a situation he described as "uncomfortable."

He said he struggled to justify handing a senior diplomatic posting to Lord Doyle, after he was found to have campaigned for a paedophile, Sean Morton. Sir Olly said it risked driving experienced career diplomats out of the Foreign Office, and ultimately pushed back, telling No10 it would be "very hard for me personally to defend."

'This is a grievous breach of national security' - Sir Olly Robbins calls for leaker of Lord Mandelson vetting decision to be 'rigorously investigated' 

Speaking to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, Sir Olly Robbins, said: "I am struck and saddened that within, I think probably only a small number of days of the Cabinet Office for their own reasons, deciding to share what they thought they'd found and their perceptions of it internally with No10.

"I'm not making accusations at anybody. It's not my business to do so. I hope they're being very rigorously investigated, and the prosecutions will result, because this is a grievous breach of national security."

Sir Olly Robbins was 'worried' Prime Minister would use Foreign Office officials as scapegoat 

Ex-Foreign Office mandarin, Sir Olly Robbins admitted that he "would want to change" the system in which the Foreign Office makes decisions on international postings.

He also said he was "worried at various points in this story that the Prime Minister was being given lines to deploy publicly that the Foreign Office had not had a chance to think through" the security vetting decision.

"I tried to operate the system as I understood it," he added.

To tell ministers about vetting details puts national security at risk, says Olly Robbins 

Sir Olly Robbins said that Prime Ministers and other ministers are absolutely entitled to know about the outcome of security vetting, however, the findings cannot be shared.

When asked about if he and his team considered whether there was a precedence to tell a minister about the findings, he said: "To do so, would have opened up the box of the vetting system which I hold you to this hour, is an important part of our national defences."

'There is so little paperwork on this' - Emily Thornberry weighs in on 'little details' they have on Lord Mandelson appointment

Emily Thornberry has weighed in on the "form" that Sir Olly Robbins claims he has never seen, where UKSV had written clearance was denied.

Sir Olly has said that he has not seen this document, but rather he was advised UKSV were "leaning against" the idea of Peter Mandelson being the UK's top diplomat in Washington, reiterating that the security body does not deny or withdraw a person, but gives a recommendation.

She said: "There is so little paperwork on this!"

Kemi Badenoch calls Olly Robbins evidence 'devastating' for Keir Starmer

Kemi Badenoch, the Leader of the Opposition said that Sir Keir Starmer did mislead the House in light of the evidence Sir Olly Robbins has been giving this morning.

She said on X: "The evidence from Olly Robbins is devastating to Keir Starmer.

"It is clear that No10 not only made the appointment before vetting was completed, but that Mandelson was already acting as the Ambassador before the vetting - even seeing highly classified documents.

"With this, and the 'constant pressure' No10 applied to the appointment and their 'dismissive attitude' to vetting Mandelson, it is now absolutely clear that 'full due process' was not followed. Keir Starmer has misled the House."

Ex-Foreign Office boss 'regrets' due diligence report on Peter Mandelson did not change Sir Keir Starmer's decision over appointment 

Speaking to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, Sir Olly Robbins said he regrets the process was not done before the announcement, he regrets the due diligence process "didn't colour the Prime Minister's judgement in making the appointment".

However, he said he has "no regrets" about his "brilliant people" and the judgement they came to.

Peter Mandelson appointment: Sir Olly Robbins stresses he followed due process despite pressure and not liking that part of his role 

Sir Olly Robbins has reiterated he followed due process over Lord Peter Mandelson's appointment as ambassador, despite hating that part of his role.

He said it is an incredibly emotional part of the job, as decisions over vetting can "shatter" someone's career, but he backed his judgement over Lord Mandelson, as he has gone through the process with other individuals numerous times, despite the pressure he was under.

Sir Olly Robbins refuses to say Sir Philip Barton was pushed out of Foreign Office role prematurely 

Sir Olly Robbins said he didn't know for certain why Sir Philip Barton (formerly permanent Under-Secretary in the Foreign Office) left eight months early.

He notably deflected by pointing the committee toward both David Lammy and Sir Philip themselves for a fuller answer, stopping well short of saying the former Foreign Office boss was pushed out.

WATCH: Sir Olly Robbins says there was a 'strong expectation' from Number 10 that Peter Mandelson 'needed to be in post'

Speaking to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, ex-Foreign Office boss, Sir Olly Robbins emphasised the pressure on the civil service was on to put Peter Mandelson in UK ambassador to US post.

No ministers were told about Peter Mandelson's security vetting outcome, says Sir Olly Robbins 

Sir Olly Robbins confirmed that no ministers were told about UKSV's vetting outcome and he was "not surprised" that No10 separated itself from the decision.

He said on the conclusions that were reached to grant the vetting despite the findings: "The department's security team are extremely professional experienced people.

"They have a live dialogue with UKSV. The risks that were identified were ones that they felt they understood well and could manage."

Sir Olly Robbins claims the Prime Minister made political judgement over Peter Mandelson to bypass vetting process 

When quizzed on why advice to security vet Lord Peter Mandelson was not followed prior to his appointment, Sir Olly Robbins speculated the Prime Minister likely made a conscious political judgment that the peer's well-known risks were outweighed by his value in Washington and effectively decided to bypass the formal vetting process on that basis.

Decisons made was 'rigorously independent of pressure', says Olly Robbins

Sir Olly Robbins said that despite the pressure on the the civil service over Peter Mandelson's appointment, the decision was made "rigorously independent" of any external influence.

Prime Minister was given advice to do security vetting for political appointments in November 2024, says Olly Robbins

Now quizzing Sir Olly Robbins is Sir John Whittingdale, who first asked if the ex-Foreign Office boss was surprised at the pace the appointment happened.

Sir Olly, speaking before the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, said he was not surprised the appointment had proceeded without vetting being complete first.

He said that the Prime Minister was given advice in November 2024 by Lord Simon Case that if he wished to make a political appointment, to obtain security clearance before making the announcement would be "the safest course".

Sir Olly also said that by the time the vetting decision was made, the UK had already committed itself internationally and that if the appointment has been revoked "that would have damaged our relations with the United States".

It is a 'red herring' to focus on who knew about security vetting decision, says Sir Olly Robbins 

Sir Olly Robbins argued it is a "red herring" to focus on who was told about the UKSV vetting decision on Lord Peter Mandelson, he pointed out that the peer himself received a contract of employment and a posting letter to Washington within hours of the decision.

Emily Thornberry has continued to reiterate why there is a lack of records between Sir Olly and No10 over the appointment, as evidence of the pressure he felt, pointing to this being a failure of process or something more deliberate.

Peter Mandelson security vetting caution not based on relationship with Epstein, says Sir Olly Robbins

Emily Thornberry quizzed Sir Olly Robbins on January 28, when the UKSV results returned on Lord Peter Mandelson.

He said that he believed UKSV considered Lord Mandelson a "borderline case" and that the risks "did not relate to Mandelson's relationship to Jeffrey Epstein", so at the time he suggested the Foreign Office "might wish to grant clearance with appropriate risk management".

'An atmosphere of constant chasing' - Sir Olly Robbins says pressure came from 'private office to private office'

Sir Olly Robbins said that there was an "atmosphere of constant chasing" over the Lord Peter Mandelson appointment.

Emily Thornberry pressed him on what this source of pressure was, he said it was from the "private office", but refused to name names.

He said that other officials at No10 were likely to be under pressure themselves and does not hold "private secretaries responsible".

'I walked into something with already very strong expectation' - Sir Olly Robbins emphasises pressure he was on over Peter Mandelson appointment 

Sir Olly Robbins, speaking to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee illustrated how he came into a situation of high pressure in regard to appointing Lord Peter Mandelson as the UK's ambassador to the US.

He said that on top of the pressure, there was a "dismissive approach" by No10 towards the vetting of Lord Mandelson, which meant there was a "very, very strong expectation" that Lord Mandelson would become the UK's chief diplomat to the US.

Emily Thornberry opens Foreign Affairs Select Committee seeking 'the whole truth'

Emily Thornberry welcomes the Sir Olly Robbins to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee.

She said that he "clearly told us the truth, but you only gave us part of the truth", but she wants to gain "the whole truth today".

Ms Thornberry posed the first question to Sir Olly, asking him what "the state of play" at the time of the appointment.

WATCH: Sir James Cleverly tells GB News the Conservatives will 'keep asking questions' to get to bottom of Peter Mandelson scandal

Sir James Cleverly Shadow Secretary for Housing shared his thoughts on the unfolding Lord Peter Mandelson scandal, calling for Sir Keir Starmer to resign.

Ed Miliband confesses he thought Peter Mandelson appointment 'could blow up'

Ed Miliband, the Secretary for Net Zero, has said he thought Lord Peter Mandelson's appointment as UK ambassador to the US could "blow up".

Speaking to Sky News, he said on the announcement: "That it could blow up, that it could go wrong.

"I had a conversation with David Lammy about it before the appointment, and I said I was worried about it... I think he was worried about it too."

He further claimed he "steered clear" of Lord Mandelson after becoming Labour leader in 2010, confessing he thought the disgraced peer's appointment was a mistake.

However, the Net Zero Secretary emphasised that Sir Keir Starmer should not resign.

'The Prime Minister should go' - Shadow Housing Secretary calls Peter Mandelson scandal 'unbelievable' 

Sir James Cleverly, Shadow Secretary for Housing, said, that the Government's claim that they didn't ask on the appointment process made on Lord Peter Mandelson is "unbelievable".

Speaking to GB News, he said: "I would have asked, I would of said, 'what's happened to the vetting? Has he got the green light? I need to know'."

Sir James continued to say that Lord Mandelson's appointment as the UK's ambassador to the US was "catastrophically bad judgement", concluding that Sir Keir Starmer "should go".

UK unemployment rate falls

The UK umemployment rate fell to 4.9 per cent in the three months to February - this is down from 5.2 per cent in the three months to January, according to new data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS).

Also, the ONS have said average regular earnings growth has fallen to 3.6 per cent in the three months to February and was 0.4 per cent greater after taking Consumer Prices Index inflation into account.

In response to the figures, Pat McFadden, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions said: "These figures show that there was an improvement in the labour market at the beginning of the year with unemployment falling below 5 per cent, and 332,000 more people in work than a year ago.

“But we cannot escape the effects of the war in the Middle East which are likely to feed through to prices and employment in the coming months.

"We will do everything we can to support the country through this period, including by slashing energy bills by up to 25 per cent for 10,000 manufacturers.

Labour on brink of becoming FIFTH most popular party in Britain as brutal new polling emerges

Labour is now on the brink of being the fifth most popular party in Britain, a brutal new poll has revealed.

Fresh data from YouGov has found that just 16 per cent of Britons would vote for Sir Keir Starmer's party - now behind Reform UK, the Conservatives and even now the Greens.

Nigel Farage's party secured a three percentage point boost over last week's data, with 27 per cent of Britons opting for Reform.

It is the only party to receive more than a 17 per cent prospective vote share.

After falling by two points, Kemi Badenoch's Tories sit 10 adrift of Reform on 17 per cent, while the Greens fell by one to the same level.

The Lib Dems, after picking up one percentage point, sit in fifth place on 14 per cent.

Keir Starmer faces emergency debate on Lord Mandelson appointment in just hours

Sir Keir Starmer will face an emergency debate on Lord Mandelson's appointment as the UK's Ambassador to the US following an application by Tory leader Kemi Badenoch.

The Prime Minister was today hit with a barrage of criticism from MPs across the House of Commons after it emerged that Lord Mandelson did not pass security vetting.

Mrs Badenoch, who said "serious questions [remain] about what he knew and when" and warned the Prime Minister had "serious inconsistencies" in his position, had her pitch accepted by Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle.

The debate is expected to start at around 12.30pm on Tuesday, shortly after Sir Olly Robbins provides evidence to MPs...

READ THE FULL STORY ON THE EMERGENCY DEBATE HERE

CONFIRMED: Exact time for Olly Robbins committee appearance

The Foreign Affairs Select Committee has confirmed Sir Olly Robbins will be appearing before MPs at 9am today.

You'll be able to follow the latest from his grilling live HERE - and by following along with our live blog here.

Meanwhile in Washington... Donald Trump brutally rips into Keir Starmer for appointing Lord Mandelson

In what will likely be seen as an untimely intervention from DC this morning, Donald Trump has laid into Sir Keir Starmer over his appointment of Lord Mandelson as ambassador to the US.

Mr Trump said: "Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom acknowledged that he 'exercised wrong judgement' when he chose his ambassador to Washington.

"I agree, he was a really bad pick."

"Plenty of time to recover, however," the President prodded.

READ THE FULL STORY ON DONALD TRUMP'S LATEST ATTACK ON THE PM HERE