Judgement Day for Keir Starmer after PM begs his own MPs to save him in crunch sleaze vote

Philip Barton denies claims Morgan McSweeney told him to 'just f******g approve' Lord Mandelson's security clearance

Sir Philip Barton has denied claims former Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney told him to "just f******g approve" Mandelson's security clearance.

The former top Foreign Office civil servant told the Committee: "I cannot recall Morgan McSweeney swearing in a meeting at me or in general."

Philip Barton claims there was 'no space' for dialogue over Mandelson appointment

Sir Philip Barton has claimed there was "no space" for dialogue over the appointment of Peter Mandelson, as he was told to "get on with it."

He said: "Hindsight is a fantastically wonderful thing and it is all hypothetical.

"It is worth repeating, at no point did anybody consult me, I was presented with a decision and told to 'get on with it'. There was no space for dialogue."

However, he was quick to clarify the appointment did not play a part in him leaving his post.

He said: "I announced to the department I was leaving on November 4 2024, and I [didn't] know anything about Mandelson until the middle of December.

"So the answer is straightforwardly no [it didn't play a part]."

Philip Barton says he 'should have been involved' in appointment of Peter Mandelson

Sir Phillip Barton said he "should have been involved" in the appointment of Peter Mandelson as US Ambassador.

He told the Foreign Affairs Committee: "I think on the face of it, it is reasonable for the head of the Foreign Office to be involved in thinking around what is our major top bilateral ambassador post.

"On the other hand, given clearly the Prime Minister was deciding to make a political appointment, I think it is also reasonable that civil servants would not be directly involved in discussions around what is a political appointment because that is a matter for elected politicians.

"Clearly, I think, ideally you want to have a situation where there is a tight and small circle of people who can be consulted on a big decision like this on the basis of trust. But I can also see that in the end it would have been a political matter."

Philip Barton says it 'wasn't my choice' to leave role as chief civil servant in the Foreign Office

Former top Foreign Office civil servant Sir Phillip Barton has claimed it "wasn't my choice to leave" the role in the department.

Sir Phillip Barton left his post in January 2025, with eight months still left on his contract.

He said: "It wasn't it wasn't my choice to leave at that point, and I would have preferred to see out my tenure."

Sir Phillip claimed then-Foreign Secretary David Lammy wanted someone new in the role to lead the department in a "major transformation programme".

However, he was quick to add it's "not unusual" for the top civil servant in a department to leave their post in the months after a change of party in Government.

Philip Barton says process had begun to find new US Ambassador while Tories were in office

Former top Foreign Office mandarin Sir Philip Barton said the search to find a new US Ambassador started while the Tories were in office.

While he said a potential candidate was identified, the process was put on hold when the election was called by Rishi Sunak.

Philip Barton up to answer questions

Former top Foreign Office mandarin Sir Philip Barton is currently being grilled about Lord Peter Mandelson’s vetting for the role of US Ambassador.

Sir Philip was the chief civil servant in the department at the time Mandelson was announced as US Ambassador.

However he left his post shortly after, with claims he wasn't happy with the appointment, only to be replaced by Sir Olly Robbins, who was sacked by the PM last week.

Keir Starmer says he is 'still friends' with Morgan McSweeney

Sir Keir Starmer has said he is "still friends" with his former chief of staff Morgan McSweeney.

Mr McSweeney is set to give evidence to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee this morning at 11am.

The Prime Minister told Sky News: "I've known Morgan for a very long time. We worked together in changing the Labour Party and picking it up after a terrible election in 2019, and we've worked together on the next general election."

"I talk to him from time to time, and I think it was two or three weeks ago that we last got together to talk about a number of things."

When asked about the stories Mr McSweeney called the then head of the Foreign Office Sir Philip Barton and told him to "just f******g approve" Mandelson's security clearance, Sir Keir said: "That isn't Morgan McSweeney. That isn't the way he operates.

"I've known Morgan for a very long time, and I'm sure he'll give his evidence tomorrow. I have no doubt about that."

Bridget Phillipson claims there was 'no pressure' to approve Peter Mandelson appointment

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has claimed there was no "undue pressure" on the Foreign Office to appoint Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador to the US.

She told Sky News: "Was there chasing the outcome of the decision? Yes, I'm sure there was. That's what happens every day in Government.

"[Was] there undue pressure exerted to influence the outcome, or was there undue pressure exerted in order to either not have vetting at all or to override the vetting decision? No, that was categorically not the case."

She added the "fundamental problem" is that the vetting decision "was not communicated to the Prime Minister".

This goes against what Sir Olly Robbins told MPs last week, as the former Foreign Office boss claimed there was an "atmosphere of pressure" over the appointment.

Senior Tory MP says Labour has 'something to hide'

A senior Conservative MP has suggested Labour has "something to hide" ahead of today's crunch vote.

Shadow Duchy of Lancaster Alex Burghart told GB News: "We in the Conservatives have been leading on this but we're working with all the opposition parties as well.

"It is very obvious what has happened here. The Prime Minister lied to parliament and then refused to admit he had done anything wrong.

"We are staring this formal process here, the vote today is if this will be formally investigated by a cross party group of MPs. The fact Labour doesn't want that to go ahead makes it very clear they have something to hide."

Keir Starmer to lead talks on economic fallout of Iran war

Sir Keir Starmer will lead talks on the economic fallout of the Iran crisis amid renewed calls from dozens of nations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The Prime Minister will convene the meeting of the Middle East Response Committee with ministers and representatives from the Bank of England on Tuesday to discuss the ongoing economic impact of the war.

Ministers are expected to gather in one of the Cabinet Office briefing rooms. The Government previously warned that the economic impact could last for eight months after the war’s end.

The meeting comes amid international calls at the United Nations on Monday to reopen the critical shipping lane.

Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty told the UN Security Council that US President Donald Trump and Sir Keir had this week "discussed the urgent need to get shipping moving again".

Bridget Phillipson 'open minded' about social media restrictions 

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said she was "open minded" about the extent of the restrictions that will be imposed on children’s use of social media.

But she said whatever was put in place has to "stand the test of time".

She told Times Radio: "It’s not a question of whether we take further action to protect young people, it’s the shape of that action, what that looks like.

"There are a range of views, sincerely held, from campaigners, from families, who have different views as to how we can seek to get this right."

Elsewhere... Labour MPs urge Keir Starmer to deliver Hillsborough law in full

Labour MPs have warned "buck stops with the Prime Minister" to deliver Hillsborough law in full and stop the delays.

It came as the House of Commons supported a carry-over motion on Monday, meaning the Public Office (Accountability) Bill can continue to progress in the next parliamentary session.

Sir Keir Starmer had promised to deliver the draft law by April 15 last year, to mark the 36th anniversary of the disaster, however, progress was stalled following concerns over changes which could see the proposed duty of candour disapplied to intelligence agencies.

Justice minister Alex Davies-Jones said the Government remains "resolutely committed to delivering this vital piece of legislation" and pledged to bring it back to the chamber "as soon as possible".

Labour’s Ian Byrne, who was at Hillsborough when 97 Liverpool football fans were killed, said the delays cause "profound distress" and responsibility for them "rests solely with the Government".

The MP for Liverpool West Derby said: "I welcome the Government tabling this carry-over motion for the Hillsborough law, but in truth, it should never have come to this."

Before the vote... Morgan McSweeney and ex-Foreign Office chief Philip Barton to face double committee grilling

Morgan McSweeney and former Foreign Office chief Philip Barton are both set to face the Foreign Affairs Select Committee today ahead of the sleaze vote.

Mr McSweeney, Sir Keir Starmer's one-time right-hand-man, has already admitted to taking "full responsibility" for advising the PM to give Lord Mandelson the ambassador job.

He is likely to face questions today over whether due process was followed, including whether he pressured the Foreign Office to place Lord Mandelson in the role.

The former No10 chief-of-staff may also be grilled on exactly who in Downing Street had pushed for the Labour grandee to be sent to Washington DC without any vetting - as well as the "theft" of his phone shortly after Lord Mandelson was sacked.

Philip Barton, Sir Olly Robbins's predecessor at the head of the Foreign Office, will doubtless be asked whether Mr McSweeney told him to "just f***ing approve" the appointment, as alleged in the committee last week.

Reform UK's Zia Yusuf joins PM pile-on with promise to 'carpet bomb' Labour seats

Reform UK's home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf offered his own scathing take-down of the Prime Minsister last night, threatening to "carpet bomb" his party's seats depending on how Labour MPs vote.

"Friendly note to Labour MPs ahead of the vote tomorrow to decide if Starmer should face an ethics probe," Mr Yusuf said.

"If you vote against it, Reform will carpet bomb your constituency to ensure all your constituents know you voted to save the most unpopular PM of all time."

READ IN FULL: No10's defence line ahead of sleaze vote this afternoon

"The Government is engaging with the two parliamentary processes that are already running on Peter Mandelson's appointment with full transparency," a No10 spokesman said last night.

"This is a desperate political stunt by the Conservative Party the week before the May elections.

"Their claims have no substance."

Three Labour MPs give their verdict on whether Keir Starmer will survive sleaze vote

Three Labour MPs came out of the woodwork to offer their verdict on whether the PM might survive this afternoon's sleaze vote last night.

The first, billed as a likely rebel, told The Telegraph they were "not sure many people will want to vote with the Tories" but there was "not much appetite to defend the indefensible".

The second said they would not be surprised if "a lot of the new intake abstain", adding: "They've been marched up the hill so many times on things to be marched back down again. What if they end up holding an inquiry anyway?"

The third, a senior Labour MP, admitted: "Labour MPs aren't going to vote for chaos in the week leading up to a local election. We will save the chaos for the week after."

RECAP: MPs push Troubles Bill through Parliament despite major fears for British troops

Also yesterday evening, MPs voted to push the controversial Troubles Bill through Parliament in the face of fears for the immunity of Northern Ireland veterans.

The Bill will continue to progress in the next parliamentary session, after MPs voted 279 to 176, majority 103, in support of a carry-over motion late on Monday night.

Troubles veterans had been handed protections under the previous Tory Government's Legacy Act.

But that was rapidly scrapped by Sir Keir Starmer - with Labour claiming the Act was "incompatible" with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

On Sunday night, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch confirmed her MPs would be voting against the carry-over motion - and they did, alongside Reform UK and the Liberal Democrats.

But 279 Labour, Green and Northern Irish SDLP and Alliance MPs were enough to send it through...

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

RECAP: Labour admits it will force internet restrictions on Britons - regardless of what consultation says

In the first of two major developments from the Commons last night, a Labour minister admitted the Government would move to force internet restrictions on young Britons, regardless of the outcome of a consultation on a social media ban.

Education Minister Olivia Bailey revealed the Government "will impose some form of age or functionality restrictions" on social media for under-16s whatever the consultation says.

The concession by the Government comes after relentless pressure from the House of Lords over the issue, led by Tory Education Minister and academy chain founder Lord Nash.

Peers voted four times to press the Commons into forcing a ban onto the British people...

READ THE FULL STORY HERE