Is Starmer finally finished? | LBC expert analysis

The prime minister has said he is "absolutely furious" that he was not informed that Peter Mandelson had failed security vetting linked to his appointment as US Ambassador.

But can he survive? Has Keir Starmer run out of road in the Mandelson saga? Political guru Andrew Marr (00:00) and a former government lawyer (04:55) give their verdicts to Nick Ferrari.

The PM branded it "staggering" and "unacceptable" that he was not made aware that the former Lord had failed checks ahead of his appointment.

"I was not told that he had failed security vetting, no minister was told... Number 10 wasn't told, that is completely unacceptable," he said in a statement on Friday.

On Friday Number 10 claimed that no minister had been told that Mandelson had failed vetting for the role, laying blame at the door of the Foreign Office.

As a result, Top Foreign Office civil servant Olly Robbins was removed from his post.

Sir Keir Starmer is now facing mounting pressure in the wake of the revelations that are rapidly turning into a scandal.

It comes as the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister told LBC this morning that he has no concerns over the Prime Minister’s future.

He added that it is “astonishing” that the Foreign Office was able to overrule the vetting process for Lord Peter Mandelson.

Speaking ahead of his meeting with President Macron at the Élysée Palace in Paris, Starmer criticised officials, explaining: "It is totally unacceptable that the prime minister making an appointment is not told that security vetting has been failed."

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