two ex-officials gave evidence on Mandelson’s appointment and security vetting to MPs on the Foreign Affairs Select Committee.
The claims Starmer stood accused of misleading MPs over were addressed by both the former permanent under secretary in the Foreign Office, Sir Philip Barton, and Starmer’s ex-chief of staff Morgan McSweeney.
McSweeney denied he had exerted pressure on the Foreign Office to approve Mandelson’s security clearance "at any cost", and Barton’s testimony supported this, drawing a distinction between pressure to complete the process and pressure to reach a certain decision.
On the latter, Barton denied that had been the case.
Later, MPs voted 223 to 335 against referring Prime Minister Keir Starmer to the Privileges Committee over claims he misled parliament about the appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson on at least two separate occasions.
The vote, pushed by numerous members from across the house as well as the leader of the opposition, had received criticism from some Labour MPs, including Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds, who accused opposition parties of "playing silly political games".
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