2 hours ago

Becky Morton, political reporter,

Paul Seddon, political reporter and

Sean Seddon

Reuters

Lord Mandelson was appointed as the UK's ambassador in Washington in December 2024

It has emerged that Peter Mandelson was granted a security clearance by the Foreign Office against the recommendation of the government's vetting agency when he was made US ambassador.

The government is under intense pressure to explain how Mandelson came to be granted Developed Vetting (DV) status, which is needed to view top secret government material, despite concerns flagged during his screening process.

Mandelson was appointed as the UK's ambassador to Washington in December 2024, before being removed last September when further information about his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein came to light.

What is a Developed Vetting security check?

Mandelson, as with any official whose work is likely to involve having access to top secret material, underwent a process called Developed Vetting during his…