The Peter Mandelson scandal: What are the lessons for Keir Starmer's government?
From Institute for Government by Institute for Government
April 22, 2026 · 42 min
About this episode
The episode discusses the implications of Peter Mandelson's appointment as UK ambassador to the US amid a security vetting controversy and its lessons for Keir Starmer's government.
The government is reeling from the revelation that Peter Mandelson was appointed as UK ambassador to the US despite having failed a security vetting process. With the blame-game dominating the week in Westminster, what will we learn from Keir Starmer's 'judgment day' Commons statement? What will Olly Robbins – who was sacked by the PM as Foreign Office permanent secretary – reveal in a crucial select committee appearance? What has the vetting row shown about the way decisions are made at the top of government? How should the vetting and appointments process be overhauled? And what does this row mean for relations between civil servants and ministers? An IfG expert webinar answered these questions and more. The webinar featured: Tim Durrant, Programme Director at the Institute for Government Hannah Keenan, Associate Director at the Institute for Government Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government Dr Hannah White, Director and CEO of the Institute for Government.
People in this episode
Host: Institute for Government
Guests: Tim Durrant, Hannah Keenan, Jill Rutter, Dr Hannah White
Topics covered
- government appointments
- security vetting
- Westminster politics
- civil service relations
- select committee
- judgment day statement
Keywords
- Peter Mandelson
- Keir Starmer
- Olly Robbins
- security vetting
- government decisions
- civil servants
- Westminster
- select committee
More episodes of Institute for Government
- Lessons from Covid: How to avoid fraud in future crises? · June 11, 2026 · 1h 2m
- Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch MP: keynote speech · June 9, 2026 · 58 min
- Are private members' bills a good way for MPs to decide on difficult policy · June 4, 2026 · 1h 1m
- Chaos returns to Westminster: What next for Keir Starmer and the government? · May 19, 2026 · 60 min
- What does the elections bill mean for the next general election? · May 19, 2026 · 1h 6m
- What does the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act mean for children’s social care? · May 12, 2026 · 1h 1m
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Institute for Government podcast page.