Overview

• Conservatives said they will seek a parliamentary vote to force release of any security services’ concerns about Peter Mandelson’s appointment to Washington.
• Downing Street insisted No 10 did not conduct the security vetting, defended departmental procedures, and declined to say whether agencies flagged issues to them.
• The Foreign Office said the newly published emails materially changed what was known about Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein, leading to his dismissal.
• Labour unrest widened as reports linked chief of staff Morgan McSweeney to pushing Mandelson’s appointment—a claim disputed by No 10—while some MPs questioned the prime minister’s judgment.
• James Roscoe is acting as interim ambassador and names for a permanent replacement are circulating in press reports, with the upheaval landing days before President Trump’s state visit.