Sir Keir Starmer has been urged to “take responsibility and go” after damning revelations about Lord Mandelson’s appointment as the UK Ambassador to the US.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch concluded her questions in the House of Commons today by urging the Prime Minister to step down.
She said: “Mr Speaker, I cannot accuse the Prime Minister of deliberately misleading the House, but everyone can see what’s happened here.
“This was not due process, and everyone knows the price of misleading the House.
“Will the Prime Minister, finally, take responsibility and go?”
Sir Keir responded by reiterating vetting concerns about Lord Mandelson had not been flagged with No10.
Taking aim at Mrs Badenoch, the Prime Minister said: “The Leader of the Opposition claimed on Friday that Mandelson could not have been cleared on security advice.
“She was wrong about that. She said ministers must have been told. She was wrong about that.
“She claimed there was deliberate dishonesty. She was wrong about that.”
Sir Keir added: “Mr Speaker, I was elected by the British people because they [the Tories] let the country down for 14 years.
“Whatever she says, whatever noise they make, nothing is going to distract me for delivering for our country.”
However, the Prime Minister was also urged to resign by Green MP Dr Ellie Chowns.
Ms Chowns accused Sir Keir of “throwing a civil servant under the bus to save his own skin”, before asking: “Does the Prime Minister not recognise that the best thing that he can do to restore trust and integrity is to take true responsibility and resign?”
Sir Keir dismissed claims there was a “dismissive attitude to vetting”.
He insisted: “That was a serious error of judgement. Had I been told, the appointment would not have gone ahead.”