London (UK), 17 Apr. (LaPresse/AP) – British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has described himself as ‘absolutely furious’ at not having been informed that his choice of Peter Mandelson for the post of UK ambassador to Washington had failed to pass security checks prior to his appointment. Starmer claims he was kept in the dark, describing the situation as ‘astonishing’ and ‘unforgivable’. Starmer is resisting calls for his resignation over the decision to appoint Peter Mandelson. Starmer added that he will address the matter in Parliament on Monday, promising to set out “all the relevant facts in full transparency”. Starmer stated that he had not been informed that, in early 2025, the Foreign Office had ignored the recommendation by security officials not to appoint Peter Mandelson to the post. Many considered Mandelson a risky appointment due to his past friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, who was convicted of sex offences. The Foreign Office’s most senior official, Olly Robbins, took responsibility for the decision and resigned late on Thursday evening. It is unlikely that the decision to report to Parliament will put Starmer out of the firing line. The decision to appoint Mandelson, a trade expert and veteran of the Labour government, as an envoy to the Trump administration, has proved a spectacular failure and could bring down the prime minister. Opposition politicians have expressed disbelief that Starmer could have been unaware that Mandelson had failed security checks. Starmer’s office stated that he only discovered this this week.