Hello and welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of UK politics on Saturday 18 April.
Keir Starmer is facing “judgment day” according to senior government figures over the failure in Peter Mandelson’s vetting process.
The prime minister has said that was “staggered” and “furious” to have not been told about the vetting recommendation, saying that the lack of communication about the matter was unforgivable.
His government has also denied that the cabinet secretary, Antonia Romeo, and Catherine Little, the Cabinet Office’s permanent secretary, were “sitting on” the information, despite both having become aware of the situation last month.
Next week, Starmer will face what is being described as a “judgment day” as Olly Robbins, who was forced to quit the Foreign Office owing to the fallout of the failures of Mandleson’s vetting, is expected to appear before a powerful committee of MPs.
Olly Robbins was forced to quit the Foreign Office. Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/PARobbins is understood to have been furious at being forced out, and there are fears that his side of events could leave Starmer, who is already facing fresh calls to resign, in an even more precarious situation.
You can read our latest report from my colleague and Guardian political editor Pippa Crerar here:
Keir Starmer faces ‘judgment day’ as Mandelson vetting debacle growsRead moreIn other developments:
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Green Party MP Hannah Spencer has criticised Labour for “offensively caricaturing” working-class people by stating that they would not want a ban on greyhound racing in England.
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The government has refused to pay for over half of the compensation claims made by victims of the Windrush scandal.
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More than half of British voters would choose to rejoin the EU in a hypothetical future referendum, according to new research.
We’ll bring you the latest developments on the Mandelson scandal, and other political stories, throughout the day…
