Mandelson sacked as US ambassador following 'new information'

Number 10 appointed Mandelson despite security concerns, Sky News understands

The security services expressed concern about the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington DC - but Number 10 went ahead anyway, Sky News understands.

Downing Street today has defended the extensive vetting process that senior civil servants go through in order to get jobs, raising questions about whether they missed something - or if Number 10 ignored their advice.

Sky News has been told by two sources that the security services did flag concerns as part of the process. 

These concerns were not judged by Number 10 to be enough to stop the ambassadorial appointment, though. 

It is not known whether all the details were shared with the prime minister personally.

Sky News has been told some members of the security services are unhappy with what has taken place in Downing Street.

Lord Mandelson is close to Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, who is known to have been keen on the appointment and the pair spoke regularly.

Number 10 said the security vetting process is all done at a departmental level with no Number 10 involvement.

Starmer accused of 'blatant disregard for national security considerations' after Sky revelations

The Conservatives have accused Sir Keir Starmer and his chief of staff of a "blatant disregard of all national security considerations" with the appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson.

The accusation comes after our deputy political editor Sam Coates revealed that the security services expressed concern about the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington DC - but No 10 went ahead anyway.

In response, shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel described the revelations as "extraordinary".

She said: "For Keir Starmer, and his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, to have appointed Lord Mandelson despite concerns being raised by the security services shows a blatant disregard of all national security considerations and their determination to promote their Labour Party friends.

"Starmer leads a crisis riddled government consumed by a chaos of his own making, because he puts his party before the needs of our country.

"The country deserves the honest truth this spineless prime minister refuses to give them."

Downing Street today defended the extensive vetting process which senior civil servants go through in order to get jobs, raising questions about whether or not they missed something or No 10 ignored their advice.

It is not known whether all of the detail was shared with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer personally..

No 10 says the security vetting process is all done at a departmental level with no Downing Street involvement.

Triple whammy of losses for Mandelson - as former ambassador to lose Hull title

Peter Mandelson has famously been forced out of British government three times in disgrace.

First, Lord Mandelson had to leave his job as trade and industry secretary in 1998 - because he failed to declare a home loan from Labour millionaire Geoffrey Robinson to his building society.

Then, having made his way back into the cabinet as Northern Ireland Secretary in 1999, he had to quit after accusations that he pulled levers he wasn't supposed to, so that businessman Srichand Hinduja could seek UK citizenship.

Today, perhaps in his most public firing yet, Sir Keir Starmer sacked him as ambassador to the US - perhaps before he'd even got out of bed. 

So, it seems things bad things come in threes for Lord Mandelson. 

No wonder then that this particular scandal has now also become a triple whammy.

First, he lost his job at around 10:45am BST.

Then, Downing Street confirmed to the media that Mandelson would be made to leave the British ambassadorial residence with "immediate effect" - in effect, losing his home in Washington.

Perhaps worst of all, now Hull City Council has announced it will be stripping Mandelson of his honorary title.

He was the High Steward of Hull, but this is another title now being erased.

Mike Ross, the local authority's leader, has declared: "In light of recent developments, with agreement from the other political groups on the council, we will put forward a motion at next week’s Full Council meeting calling for the High Steward role to be removed from Lord Mandelson."

For the man who once called sex offender Jeffrey Epstein "my best pal", it must feel like the blows just keep coming.

Mandelson forced to leave job which he had 'really wanted to do'

It was probably an unwelcome early start.

The news dropped at 5:50am Eastern Time in Washington DC, and events have been seen as moving "very fast" by those in the US.

Our US correspondent Mark Stone is outside the British ambassador's residence in DC and says that the 'birthday book' revealed to the US Congress on Tuesday has proven to be "the beginning of the end" for Peter Mandelson.

Pointing to the residence behind him, he says that Mandelson is believed to be inside. 

Likely, he is packing as Downing Street has confirmed that Mandelson is being kicked out of the property with "immediate effect".

He says the job of being the UK ambassador to the US was "really important" to Lord Mandelson and something that "he really had wanted to do".

Mark adds: "Even as late as last night, very, very senior officials here at the [British] embassy in Washington were not aware that this was going to happen quite so quickly."

He explains that he was due to be speaking to some sources at the embassy today - and that these calls will now be cancelled.

"The sense I got is that this was something that London felt they needed to get a grip of [it], that Downing Street felt his position was no longer tenable," he adds.

Mark says there are also "serious questions" for Sir Keir Starmer who he says is a "close friend" of Mandelson.

With hindsight, he says it is "absolutely clear from the letter that was in the Epstein birthday card", that Mandelson's relationship with the convicted sex offender "was very close indeed".

A reminder that Mandelson called the disgraced financier "my best pal" in the book.

He also says that the whole fiasco raises questions about the special relationship and the state visit by US President Donald Trump to the UK next week.

-SKY NEWS