The Labour leader, Keir Starmer, has escaped a parliamentary inquiry into his handling of Peter Mandelson's vetting. The move follows a Conservative proposal for a parliamentary inquiry, which was rejected by MPs.
Mandelson, a former Labour minister, was appointed by Boris Johnson as a trade envoy in 2021. There have been claims that Starmer was pressured to approve Mandelson's vetting, which he denies.
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The rejection of the Conservative proposal has sparked concerns that Starmer may be avoiding scrutiny over his handling of Mandelson's appointment. In a statement, a Conservative spokesperson said, 'The public deserves to know the truth about the Labour leader's involvement in this appointment.'
The rejection of the inquiry proposal follows a series of controversies surrounding the Labour leader, including claims that he misled MPs over the Foreign Office's involvement in Mandelson's vetting.