Ethics Adviser Declines Investigation into PM's Appointment of Lord Mandelson
The prime minister's independent ethics adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus, has announced he will not investigate Sir Keir Starmer regarding his appointment of Lord Mandelson as ambassador to the United States.
Sir Laurie stated that the documents released concerning Lord Mandelson's appointment demonstrated that "the relevant process for a political appointee was followed."
The Conservative Party had requested an investigation after the government published a series of documents on Wednesday related to the peer's appointment to this prominent diplomatic role. The Conservatives alleged there were "serious deficiencies in the released material" and suggested a "potential cover-up."
In his response issued on Friday, Sir Laurie indicated he found no grounds to initiate an investigation.
"I consider that the documentation that has been made public indicates that the relevant process for a political appointee was followed."
Alex Burghart, the Conservative shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, had asked Sir Laurie, who serves as the independent adviser on ministerial standards, to examine a "possible breach of the Ministerial Code" by the prime minister.
Details of the Appointment and Related Concerns
The documents released earlier in the week revealed that Sir Keir Starmer had been warned about Lord Mandelson's association with the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, noting it posed a "reputational risk" prior to confirming his appointment as US ambassador.
Included in the documents was advice sent to the prime minister indicating that the relationship between Lord Mandelson and Epstein continued even after Epstein's 2008 conviction for procuring sex from a minor.
Following the revelations, Sir Keir acknowledged that he "made a mistake" in appointing Lord Mandelson to the role and issued an apology to Epstein's victims.
The Conservative Party claimed there was a "cover-up" in the document release because two sections reserved for comments from Sir Keir regarding the appointment were left blank, raising suspicions that these sections had been redacted.
However, it is understood that no redactions were made to these sections. They were published exactly as they were returned from the prime minister's office after his review.
Calls for Further Scrutiny and Lord Mandelson's Current Status
The Liberal Democrats also urged Sir Keir to refer himself to Sir Laurie to determine whether he breached the Ministerial Code by assuring Parliament that "full due process" was followed during Lord Mandelson's appointment.
Lord Mandelson resigned from the Labour Party in February. Weeks later, he was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office amid allegations that he passed market-sensitive government information to Jeffrey Epstein during his tenure as a minister.
He remains under police investigation, although his bail conditions were lifted last week.
The BBC understands that Lord Mandelson maintains he has not acted criminally and was not motivated by financial gain.
