British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s former chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, has admitted that he made a “serious error of judgment” in recommending Peter Mandelson for appointment as the United Kingdom’s Ambassador to the United States, while denying any wrongdoing in the formal selection process.
Speaking before a parliamentary committee on Tuesday, McSweeney said he believed the veteran Labour politician would strengthen diplomatic efforts with Washington, particularly in the context of renewed trade negotiations following Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
He, however, acknowledged that the decision was mistaken in hindsight.
“The appointment of Mandelson as ambassador was a serious error of judgment.
”I advised the prime minister in support of that appointment and I was wrong to do so,” he said.
McSweeney rejected allegations that he bypassed due process or interfered with national security vetting procedures.
He told lawmakers that he did not instruct officials to skip checks or pressure them to clear the appointment without proper scrutiny.
“What I did not do was oversee national security vetting, ask officials to ignore procedures, request that steps should be skipped, or communicate explicitly or implicitly that checks should be cleared at all costs,” he added.
The testimony has intensified political scrutiny over senior diplomatic appointments under Starmer’s administration, with opposition figures continuing to question the influence and transparency surrounding high-level selections.
The development adds to ongoing debate in Westminster over governance standards and the integrity of appointment processes in key international postings.
