Home UK Parliament to Vote on Starmer Inquiry

UK Parliament to Vote on Starmer Inquiry

April 28, 2026

(FILES) Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer holds a meeting to discuss the US-Israeli conflict with Iran and the impact on the Strait of Hormuz, inside 10 Downing Street in London on March 30, 2026. Embattled British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said April, 17 2026, it was "unforgivable" and "unacceptable" he was not told that Peter Mandelson, his sacked envoy to Washington, had failed security vetting. "I was not told that he had failed security vetting. No minister was told that he'd failed security vetting... that is completely unacceptable," he said during an unrelated visit to Paris. (Photo by Jaimi Joy / POOL / AFP)

British lawmakers will vote on whether Prime Minister Keir Starmer should face a parliamentary investigation over the Peter Mandelson controversy, House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle announced on Monday.

Members of Parliament will debate on Tuesday whether Starmer should be referred to a committee to determine if he misled parliament over the appointment of Mandelson, a former associate of the late convicted US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as Britain’s ambassador to the United States.

The issue marks the latest twist in a scandal that has dogged Starmer’s government for months and triggered calls for his resignation.

Hoyle said the decision followed requests from several lawmakers, including Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch.

Badenoch has accused Starmer of misleading MPs by insisting proper procedures were followed before Mandelson’s 2024 appointment, despite claims that he had failed security vetting checks.

Starmer to Face Possible Parliament Probe — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (R) talks with Britain’s ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson during a welcome reception at the ambassador’s residence on February 26, 2025 in Washington, DC. Credit: Capx.

Starmer has since dismissed the most senior civil servant at the foreign ministry for allegedly failing to inform ministers that Mandelson had not passed the vetting process.

He has also denied accusations that his office pressured officials to approve the appointment.

The prime minister commands a sizeable Labour majority in the House of Commons, meaning support from a significant number of ruling party MPs would be needed for any formal inquiry to proceed.

Speaking to Sky News on Monday night, Starmer dismissed the move as a political stunt.

He said extensive transparency measures were already in place.

The Privileges Committee previously handled the case that led to former prime minister Boris Johnson’s departure from frontline politics after investigating whether he misled parliament over the Covid-era partygate scandal.

Johnson resigned as an MP in 2023 before the committee released a report recommending his suspension.

Starmer removed Mandelson from office in September 2025 after fresh allegations concerning his relationship with Epstein surfaced.

UK police are also investigating Mandelson over claims he committed misconduct in public office while serving as a Labour minister more than a decade ago by allegedly leaking information to the disgraced financier.