No way to raise Mandelson concerns, former senior official says

Former senior official Sir Philip Barton told MPs he had no way to raise concerns about Lord Mandelson's appointment as the UK's ambassador to the US. He expressed worries about Mandelson's links to Jeffrey Epstein but was instructed by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to proceed with the decision. Lord Mandelson was appointed in December 2024 and was dismissed in September last year after new details emerged about his friendship with Epstein.