LONDON, April 17 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he is "absolutely furious" for not having been told that Peter Mandelson failed security vetting clearance before becoming British ambassador to the United States, British media reported on Friday.
"I was not told that he had failed security vetting, no minister was told... Number 10 wasn't told, that is completely unacceptable," said Starmer, according to Sky News.
The Guardian revealed on Thursday that Mandelson was denied the clearance in January 2025 after a developed vetting process, a confidential background check by security officials, but the decision was overruled by Britain's Foreign Office.
The British government said Starmer was only aware of this until "this week," said media reports.
"Once the prime minister was informed, he immediately instructed officials to establish the facts about why the Developed Vetting was granted, in order to enact plans to update the House of Commons," the reports quoted a government spokesperson as saying.
Oliver Robbins, British Foreign Office's top civil servant, has been sacked following the revelation, according media report on Thursday.
Mandelson was sacked as Britain's chief diplomat in Washington in September 2025 after revelations about his friendship with convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
Earlier this year, he was briefly arrested following a criminal investigation into his alleged misconduct in public office, including the possible disclosure of market-sensitive information. ■
