UK Prime Minister Starmer says he was misled by the Foreign Office over the appointment scandal of the ambassador to the United States

The UK Prime Minister insists he was misled by Foreign Office officials

Today's front-page news in the Financial Times reports that UK Prime Minister Starmer continued to defend himself yesterday, claiming he was an innocent "victim" in the scandal surrounding the appointment of Lord Mandelson as ambassador to the United States. He also criticized the Foreign Office's handling of the scandal as "unforgivable," stating that he was never informed from the beginning that Lord Mandelson had not passed the security background check. Starmer further said he will deliver a statement on the matter to Parliament next Monday. However, the report indicates that some members of the ruling Labour Party believe Starmer should resign. One Labour MP stated that they expect a disastrous performance by the Labour Party in the local elections scheduled for the 7th of next month, and that Starmer should clearly outline his departure timeline afterward.

The Daily Telegraph also cited sources from the Prime Minister's office, saying that the Permanent Secretary at the Foreign Office, Robbins—Britain’s most senior civil servant—failed to inform the Prime Minister's office in early last year that Lord Mandelson had not passed the security background check, leading Prime Minister Starmer to mistakenly believe that Mandelson had cleared the review. As a result, Robbins was dismissed two days ago. Nevertheless, Robbins has agreed to testify before MPs next Tuesday and is expected to defend himself during the testimony. The report also claims Robbins will receive compensation exceeding £100,000.

The Daily Mail also reported that newly disclosed information shows that two of Prime Minister Starmer’s aides—including Cabinet Secretary Romeo and Little from the Cabinet Office—had discovered last month that Lord Mandelson had been appointed ambassador to the US without passing the security background check. Yet Prime Minister Starmer still claims he only learned about this situation as recently as Tuesday of this week.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1862757084849289/

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