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Cabinet Office officials delayed telling Starmer about Mandelson vetting recommendation for almost three weeks – UK politics live | Politics
Little says she delayed telling PM about Mandelson vetting recommendation because she wanted legal advice first
Little said she saw the UKSV report on Mandelson on 25 March.
She said she dicussed it with the cabinet secretary, Antonia Romeo, shortly afterwards. But they did not tell the PM until 14 April.
Asked why it took so long to inform him, she replied:
I immediately sought legal … advice, because this is such an unusual thing for a government official to do, to handle that sort of security information.
I believe I have a responsibility to handle that sensitive information within the framework of both the law and the guidance that I’m subject to, and I did not feel that I could share that information until I understood the consequences and the authority that I had.
Key events
Little was asked why the Foreign Office wanted to see Mandelson’s UKSV report in September. (See 9.52am.)
She said she could not recall a reason being given.
Little hints further information could be published about how PM decided to appoint Mandelson
Q: Why is there no formal record of the meeting where Keir Starmer decided to go ahead with the appointment of Mandelson?
Little said that she had carried out an “an information gathering process”, and that she was confident that she had received “all of the information that is within the scope of the [humble] address”.
She said it was normal for a record of a meeting like this to be kept.
Q: But there is no record of this meeting.
Little said there was some cases where she had had to undertake “further investigation”.
Q: Do you expect to see further information around this?
Little replied:
I would … We have undertaken further investigation.
Q: The security vetting covers security risks. Does it also cover reputational risks?
Little said that this is one of the issues the Fulford review will look at.
She repeated the point about how there are currently four parts of the scrutiny process. (See 10.24am.) She said there are overlaps, but they also look at different things.
Q: Do you know if the government is planning to make other political appointments to the diplomatic service?
Little said the humble address only covers Mandelson. She said she could not comment on other potential appointments.
Q: Will the humble address material cover the decision made by the PM to appoint Mandelson?
Little claimed that has already been published.
Q: Robbins told us last week that Robbins was given access to security material before his clearance was approved. Is that unusual?
Little said that was a matter for the department. Mandelson would have been given “interim clearance”, she said.
Ultimately, I believe that an exception was made for him to see certain information and that that is within the framework that the Foreign Office has.
Q: Are you aware of any other individuals who have been given DV clearance against a recommendation from the UKSV?
Little said that the review is looking at this. She says Darren Jones announced last week that in future clearance can’t be approved against the advice of UKSV.
Thornberry asks if there was anything that was in the direct vetting that was not covered by the Cabinet Office’s due diligence report.
She says, when she asked Olly Robbins, he would not say.
Little answers carefully. She says, speaking hypothetically, the UKSV report could contain more information, because it was a different exercise carried out for a different purpose.
Little refuses to say if Robbins’ account of how vetting approved likely to be backed by Foreign Office security chief
Little was asked if she spoke to Ian Collard, head of the estates, security and network directorate in the Foreign Office, about the decision to grant vetting to Mandelson. As Henry Dyer explains here, he is a crucial figure because he was the person who advised Olly Robbins that, notwithstanding the UKSV concerns, the Foreign Office’s security team thought the risks around Mandelson could be managed and his clearance should be approved.
Little said she did not speak to Collard, because one of her officials did.
Q: Was the information given by Collard different from the information given by Robbins to the committee?
Little refused to say. She said the committee should speak to Collard directly. He is due to give evidence to the committee.
How Little’s evidence raises fresh questions about who owns UKSV documents
Henry Dyer
Henry Dyer is a Guardian investigations correspondent.
Cat Little’s comment (see 10.01am) that Robbins refused to give her access to Mandelson’s vetting report, and the Foreign Office’s note of its decision to grant clearance, is confusing given two other remarks.
The first is that, in the end, she managed to get a copy of the UKSV summary directly from UKSV, which she is responsible for overseeing. So why did she need to go to the Foreign Office for this, though she would have needed the department to provide the note of its decision to grant clearance. We have learned this was an email from Ian Collard, the department’s head of security. Collard has been called to give evidence to the committee.
The second is Little has said that in September 2025, after Mandelson was removed from post, it was the Foreign Office security team that came to the Cabinet Office to ask to see a “number of documents relating to the vetting file”.
It is unclear why both departments appear to have asked each other for the UKSV documentation.
Q: Do you think it is right that the PM was kept in the dark about the UKSV recommendations? Has he been properly served by the civil service code of conduct?
Little said that was not for her to “opine on”. She said the PM had set out his views.
Thornberry asked about reports covering whether or not Keir Starmer asked Robbins to explain why he had withheld information about the UKSV recommendations when he sacked him.
Andrew McDonald and Bethany Dawson sum this up in their Politico London Playbook briefing this morning. They write:
Lo and behold, a source close to Robbins tells the Indy’s David Maddox that the prime minister, while sacking the mandarin on the phone, did not ask Robbins for an explanation on why he didn’t share the vetting conclusions with him. The PM told MPs in the Commons on Monday he had asked Robbins for an explanation and that he didn’t accept it.
No. 10 was insisting last night the assertion from Robbins’ allies is misleading, because the PM’s office asked Robbins to provide an account of what happened before Starmer phoned him. But a senior government official was not willing to confirm Robbins had actually provided that account to Downing Street before the call took place … which means they are not denying the possibility Starmer sacked Robbins before he had explained his actions.
Thornberry asked if there would be a record of this.
Little said information about the PM’s decision making process on this would not be withing the scope of the humble address.
Asked if she thought there would be a record of the meeting where Robbins and the Foreign Office head of security agreed that Mandelson’s vetting should be approved, Little replied:
Civil servants are great administrators. We are famous for our record keeping, and the civil service code requires us, to take accurate notes, and to handle information within the legal framework.
Abtisam Mohamed (Lab) asked Little if she had ever seen a UKSV form (of the kind published by No 10 last week) before this process.
No, Little replied.
Q: And is it fair to say most senior civil servants never see these forms?
Little said that was correct.
Alex Ballinger (Lab) said there were two leaks relating to the vetting recommendations: one to the Independent in September, and then the Guardian leak, published last week. He asked who would have had access to this sort of information.
Little said there were four stages of the appointment process that were relevant: the due diligence scrutiny conducted by the propriety and ethics team in the Cabinet Office; the conflict of interest checks carried out by the Foreign Office; the UKSV process; and vetting for top secret STRAP intelligence access.
Little says she delayed telling PM about Mandelson vetting recommendation because she wanted legal advice first
Little said she saw the UKSV report on Mandelson on 25 March.
She said she dicussed it with the cabinet secretary, Antonia Romeo, shortly afterwards. But they did not tell the PM until 14 April.
Asked why it took so long to inform him, she replied:
I immediately sought legal … advice, because this is such an unusual thing for a government official to do, to handle that sort of security information.
I believe I have a responsibility to handle that sensitive information within the framework of both the law and the guidance that I’m subject to, and I did not feel that I could share that information until I understood the consequences and the authority that I had.
Asked to confirm that, on Mandleson’s form, the red boxes were ticked, Little said she would not comment on confidential information in a UKSV report.
Whittingdale asked how it could be possible for the Foreign Office to have the 10-page UKSV summary report on Mandelson, including the form with the tick in the red box saying clearance should be denied, but Robbins to say he was not aware of that.
Little said the Foreign Office had the document. She said she could not comment on what was or was not shown to Robbins.
Little says due process was followed in Mandelson vetting process
John Whittingdale (Con) said Simon Case, the former cabinet secretary, said the vetting should be carried out before the appointment was announced. Olly Robbins said he thought the same. Is that the Cabinet Office view?
Little said the due process was followed.
(This backs up Keir Starmer’s claim to MPs, that “due process” was followed.)
Q: But the appointment was announced before the vetting had been carried out. Does the Cabinet Office support that?
Little sidestepped the question, saying she only became involved when implementing the humble address.
She said issues about when vetting was carried out would be looked at by Adrian Fulford in his review.
Varley was found guilty of murder, two counts of assault by penetration, five counts of cruelty to a child, grievous bodily harm, sexual assault of a child, 13 counts of taking indecent photos or videos of a child, one of distributing an indecent photo of a child, to his co-accused, and one of making an indecent photo.
UK News
Nottinghamshire v Somerset, Leicestershire v Essex, and more: county cricket day four – live | Sport
Key events
Tea time scores
Division One
Grace Road: Leicestershire 187 and 428 v Essex 401 and 99-2 Essex need 116 to win
Trent Bridge: Somerset 310 and 355-7dec BEAT Nottinghamshire 193 and 166 by 306 runs.
Hove: Sussex 521 BEAT Glamorgan 155 and 268 by an innings and 98 runs
Scarborough: Yorkshire 469 and 246-6dec v Warwickshire 263 and 237-5 Warwicks need 216 to win
Division Two
Chester-le-Street: Durham 377 BEAT Derbyshire 118 and 237 by an innings and 22 runs
Blackpool: Kent 178 and 332 BEAT Lancashire 87 and 283 by 140 runs
Northampton: Northamptonshire 465 v Gloucestershire 268 and 387 Northants need 191 to win
New Road: Worcestershire 265 and 191-7 v Middlesex 339 and 283-6dec Worcs need 167 to win
To Scarborough: where Sam Hain (63) and Ed Barnard (280 are keeping Warwickshire hopes alive, a flying George Hill not quite able to get hand on ball. Ah, they’re going in for tea now, needing 216 off 35 overs, five wickets left. Enthralling stuff for those sitting sunning themselves on the bleachers.
Rehan Ahmed, unwanted by England, lurches left to take a super catch to get rid of Tom Westley at Grace Road. Scriven the wicket taker. Essex 86-2.
Gloucestershire are really getting stuck into their task at Wantage Road – the lead is now 176. James Bracey now 137, Will Williams, whose obstinance Lancs would have liked at Blackpool, 7 in 40 minutes.
While at New Road, Cullen (15) and Taylor (6) continue to hold up Middlesex – Worcs seven down, needing another 179.
Looks lovely and sunny at Grace Road, as the clouds stitch a blanket over Manchester. Walter and Westley moving things along. Essex 73-1 need another 143.
England Test XI: Jordan Cox and Sonny Baker to make their debuts
There are four changes from England’s XI at Lord’s. Jordan Cox, fresh from a magnificent 204 against Leicestershire, and Sonny Baker will make their Test debuts. Jofra Archer returns, as does Matt Fisher, replacing his Surrey teammate Gus Atkinson who, along with Ben Stokes, wasn’t considered for selection after breaking the curfew. There is no space this time for Shoaib Bashir.
James Rew could also make his Test debut at The Oval, if Jamie Smith’s wife goes into labour.
England XI: Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root (capt), Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wk), Jordan Cox, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue, Matthew Fisher, Sonny Baker
Somerset (thank you Anthony Gibson) were without Toms Kohler-Cadmore, Abell, Banton and Lammonby and Will Smede, and then were raided by England for James Rew and lost Lewis Gregory to a hamstring mid-game.
Somerset BEAT Notts by 306 runs – five wickets for Coverton
Overton with the final wicket as Ali swats like a man about to be stung and Alfie Ogborne takes the catch, running over to Overton for a bear hug. Happy handshakes all round. O’Neill undefeated on 54, Notts all out for 166 and defeated for the first time in 15 matches.
Trent Bridge: Somerset 310 and 355-7dec BEAT Nottinghamshire 193 and 166 by 306 runs.
Somerset 21 points, Notts 3 points.
The wheels have fallen off and rolled into the gutter at New Road. Worcestershire, 123-7 at lunch, are now 156-7. Three for Zafar Gohar, one for Seb Morgan.
An early Essex wicket at Grace Road: “In a variation to his first innings dismissal, Elgar’s caught at slip off Davey to give Leicestershire some hope.” says Mike Daniels.
“I’m worried about Ben”
Some quite worrying quotes from Brendon McCullum about Ben Stokes.
Half a big Somerset boot is across the line as Dillon Pennington becomes wicket number four for Craig Overton, driving to backward point. O’Neill stands, thoughtful at the non-striker’s end on 45. Mohammad Ali gets a snorter first ball but survives. Notts 153-9.
Regulations, regulations. Over to you Mike Daniels: “Apparently the regs are that the 15 mins is taken if there’s a chance of a result and it’s the last innings of the game, whereas the 30 mins taken here was because that’s mandatory when there are 9 wkts down in any innings.
“That’s the combined wisdom of the scorers and the match referee at lunch. Apparently you can take the 15 mins and the 30 mins subsequently if it’s the last innings of the game.”
On a Monday in June?
100 for James Bracey
A second hundred of the season for James Bracey who has stitched Gloucestershire’s second innings together. Daz Ahmed was lbw just before lunch, so Matt Taylor joins the vigil. The lead over Northants 125.
Lewis Hill out at last for 127 – Essex need 215 to win
Could be interesting…. especially as Essex are without Jordan Cox in their second innings. All hail last man out Lewis Hill, bowled t’ween bat and pad heaving for the rope, for 127, walks off chastising himself. A second wicket for Critchley. Three each for Snater and Harmer.
Lunch at Trent Bridge, where a furious Craig Overton stalks off after missing a catch at slip in the last over before lunch, bowled by Jack Leach.
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 193 and 138-8 v Somerset 310 and 355-7dec Notts need 335 to win
While at Grace Road they will play on till 1.30 – thanks to Mike Daniels for the info.“Scorer tells me they’re playing on for half an hour or 8 overs, rather than 15 mins. Don’t know the regs myself.”
They’re playing on for 15 mins at Grace Road too, where Lewis Hill is still keeping vigil on 113, but has lost Josh Davey after 65 minutes of defence. Leics 414-9 lead by 200.
Lunchtime-ish scores
Division One
Grace Road: Leicestershire 187 and 414-9- v Essex 401
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 193 and 129-8 v Somerset 310 and 355-7
Hove: Sussex 521 BEAT Glamorgan 155 and 268 by an innings and 98 runs
Scarborough: Yorkshire 469 and 246-6dec v Warwickshire 263 and 139-4 Warwicks need 314 to win
Division Two
Chester-le-Street: Durham 377 BEAT Derbyshire 118 and 237 by an innings and 22 runs
Blackpool: Kent 178 and 332 BEAT Lancashire 87 and 283 by 140 runs
Northampton: Northamptonshire 465 v Gloucestershire 268 and 306-8
New Road: Worcestershire 265 and127-3 v Middlesex 339 and 283-6 Worcs need 231 to win
A Thomas Rew stat that I missed yesterday – he is the third youngest Somerset centurion after Trevor Jones and Marcus Trescothick. He beats brother James by one precious day. They’re playing an extra 15 mins at Trent Bridge to try and get this game polished off.
Worcestershire had been enjoying a fruitful morning – but have just lost Roderick for 20, lbw to Eathan Bosch, a name he must always have to spell out over the telephone. (I feel his pain). Ben Allison 71 not out. Worcs 117-3 need another 241 to beat Middx.
They’re on at Wantage Road, but James Bracey (93) and Daz Ahmed are hanging on in there. Gloucs 398-7 lead Northants by 101. Ahmed, who came through SACA, is playing in his second f-c match.
Jack Haynes, Nottinghamshire’s last real hope, get a wobbler from Pretorius that shimmies past, and touches, the outside edge, Notts 104 for eight.
100 for Lewis Hill
Well played Lewis Hill! Back-to-the-wall innings of the year? Over six hours of concentration. Leicestershire 397-8 and Essex’s frustration grows.
To Scarborough, where George Hill is also polishing his all-round credentials – 65 not out yesterday, 3 for 23 with the ball today. Warwickshire are listing badly – three wickets down this morning – 97 for four, 355 more to win.
Patterson-White has a waft and is caught at second slip by Craig Overton scooping the ball off the turf with both hands – Pretorius with the wicket. Notts down and nearly out – 87-7.
Elsewhere, Simon Harmer has extracted Tom Scriven from the Grace Road pitch, but Lewis Hill’s nearly-six-hour opus continues. He’s now got Josh Davey (5 in 23 balls) for company. The lead over Essex is 148.
Rew highlights
Thanks to WashingtonIrvine BTL for the link to the Rew brother’s batting partnership yesterday and Tom’s first century. So young, so talented.
Thomas Rew! What catch, diving to his right in front of first slip with open mitt, and only wearing the gloves because brother James was called up by England yesterday. T Rew and James Coles are currently battling for allround performance of the round. A pair for Lyndon James, a second wicket for Overton this morning.
Notts 75 for six and looking lightly to slip to defeat at fortress Trent Bridge for the first time since May 2024 against Hampshire
And there’s the next big wicket for Somerset, HH, who turns Overton off his hip and into the gloves of Thomas Rew. Notts 69 for five and HH is another player, like Saif Zaib until this round, who hasn’t been able to match last year’s plenty.
Stories of women’s cricket in Scotland wanted!
Fiona Reid and Bunny Warren are trying to find hidden stories of women’s cricket in Scotland over the last 150 years. If you have any, do contact them at Fiona.Reid@bayfirth.co.uk . Find out more here
Weather watch – no play yet at Northampton
Mostly positive, with sunny spells, though there are some showers moving north and east. At Wantage Road, they’re starting to mop up.
A huge wicket! Joe Clarke is bowled by Jake Ball, who was substituted in half way through the game because of Gregory’s hamstring. Delight for Somerset, despair for Clarke who was done for pace. Notts 51-4,
Big Craig with the second over of the morning, after Joe Clarke tickles four off Jake Ball’s first ball of the day. Not many in the white tip-up seats. And that’s a maiden.
Eyes first to Trent Bridge, where Notts are trying to avoid their first defeat of the season, and their first since May 2025 when they lost to Durham at Chester le Street. Anthony Gibson thinks it is a bowling morning moving onto a batting afternoon.
Good morning Mike Daniels in the Grace Road scorebox. “Will it be a Headingly ‘81 day here or will Leicestershire subside to another tame loss?
“It’s frustrating for their supporters to see the optimism generated by last season’s promotion dissipated by the performances this year.
“Yes, there are mitigating factors with key players missing for either the whole or part of the season and a great overseas signing subsequently withdrawn by the SA Board, but the batting hasn’t generally been good enough from the established players. Days like yesterday, when grit was shown, are more frustrating as it shows what has been missing from the first innings, and too many innings so far this year.
“The workmanlike bowling attack was never going to be strong enough to win games in Div 1 so the onus was on the batting, and it hasn’t delivered.
“There’s still time to put strong performances in this season and supporters are hoping they’ll show the fight they showed yesterday in the coming games.”
Deepti Sharma popped Pakistan dreams.
Ollie Robinson ruled out of the second Test
Due to that knee soreness he felt after the first Test. He will stay with the squad and undergo rehab work ahead of the third Test. Which means England’s bowling attack will have at least three changes from Lord’s – minus Stokes, Atkinson and Robinson.
Scores on the doors
Division One
Grace Road: Leicestershire 187 and 326-7 v Essex 401
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 193 and 47-3v Somerset 310 and 355-7
Hove: Sussex 521 BEAT Glamorgan 155 and 268 by an innings and 98 runs
Scarborough: Yorkshire 469 and 246-6 v Warwickshire 263 and 44-1
Division Two
Chester-le-Street: Durham 377 BEAT Derbyshire 118 and 237 by an innings and 22 runs
Blackpool: Kent 178 and 332 BEAT Lancashire 87 and 283 by 140 runs
Northampton: Northamptonshire 465 v Gloucestershire 268 and 264-7
New Road: Worcestershire 265 and 33-2 v Middlesex 339 and 283-6 Worcs need 325 to win
Sunday’s roundup: Mahmud’s six continues Kent’s revival
Hasan Mahmud poured cold water over the Blackpool sandcastles with a career-best six for 69, nine wickets in the match, bowling Kent to a 140-run victory over Lancashire. He lifted the match ball as he led Kent off, enveloped in a huge hug from head coach Adam Hollioake as he crossed the rope – not a bad debut performance.
Kent’s dismal start to the season has been transformed, with three wins in four games. Lancashire’s though, has slipped dangerously – this a third defeat in four. Marcus Harris was stranded on an immaculate 91, though for a time, as the crowd on the bleachers soaked in the afternoon sun, the unlikely seemed possible, as Keaton Jennings (61) and Liam Livingstone (47) stuck to the task.
Sussex leaped to the top of the Division One table with an innings victory over Glamorgan at Hove. Glamorgan batted with furrowed concentration second time around, with half centuries for Ben Kellaway (55) and Asa Tribe (64), but Sussex chipped away. Captain Tom Haines snaffled three wickets as did double-centurion James Coles, who put the full stop on a magical match by bowling Ryan Hadley.
Durham coach Ryan Campbell, buoyant after the innings defeat of Derbyshire, confirmed he expects Ben Stokes to play for his team next week. He also praised Matthew Potts, whose eight for 66 cannoned Durham to victory. “When you find out you’re not going to be selected [by England], you can go one of two ways,” said Campbell. “You can be down in the dumps, or you can be Matthew Potts and take eight wickets. It just shows the qualities of the man.”
Potts’ four wickets in 19 balls ended Derbyshire’s resistance, though Harry Came carried his bat for 105. Earlier Lewis Moody, on his fundraising cycle ride from Newcastle RUFC to Twickenham, had called in to Chester le Street.
Eighteen-year-old Tom Rew hit his maiden first-class century for Somerset, a delightfully racy knock, as they dominated Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.
England pulled Jordan Cox, fresh from his 204, out of Essex’s match against Leicestershire early as cover for Jamie Smith, whose partner is due to give birth to their second child. On the pitch, a dogged Leicestershire second innings, following on, hauled the game into a fourth day.
Preamble
Hello! Monday morning and there’s three empty places at the breakfast table – Chester-le-Street, Blackpool and Hove have all left early.
But there’s still lots to chew over – can Somerset’s bowlers run through the rest of Notts? Will Leicester’s dogged Sunday be in vain?Will Yorkshire pickle out Warwicks, Middlesex, Worcester and Northants stride up the table? All this and more, from 11am. Do join us.
A 63-year-old woman is arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
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