British Labour MP and senior frontbench figure
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has acknowledged he was wrong to appoint Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington after learning this week that Mandelson had failed security vetting and that Foreign Office officials had overruled that recommendation without informing ministers. Starmer has sacked top official Olly Robbins, will brief Parliament, and is facing calls for inquiry and possible Privileges scrutiny.
The UK has issued a trade licence allowing imports of Russian oil refined in third countries, such as India and Turkey, with a time-limited scope. The move comes amid rising global fuel prices spurred by the Iran war and the Strait of Hormuz closure. United States and EU officials have reacted with caution while UK officials defend the measure as targeted and temporary.
A cross-party Foreign Affairs Committee has found the process by which Peter Mandelson was appointed British Ambassador to the United States "nothing short of disastrous". It demands pre-appointment security vetting, a veto for MPs, and full public records of discussions. The report asserts the appointment did not follow proper checks and warned this should not be repeated.