UK PM faces vote on likely parliament probe over Mandelson

Britain’s parliament will vote on Tuesday over a possible inquiry into PM Keir Starmer , looking at whether he misled the House of Commons over the appointment of former US ambassador Peter Mandelson, the Times newspaper reported.Any such probe could have serious implications for Starmer’s future. He has so far resisted pressure to quit over his decision to hire Mandelson, but if found to have knowingly misled parliament his position would likely become untenable.The Times reported that House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle would approve a request for parliament to debate and vote upon whether the Committee of Privileges should look into the matter.Mandelson was fired by Starmer last Sept after his relationship with the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was found to be deeper than previously known. That has raised doubts about Starmer’s judgment in hiring him, exacerbated by the revelation that a security vetting body had described the appointment as a borderline case and that it was leaning against granting clearance.Starmer’s Labour Party has a majority in parliament, which could allow govt to instruct its lawmakers to vote down the launch of an inquiry. If the UK parliament did vote in favour of an inquiry, the committee, made up of lawmakers from the three biggest parties, would examine whether Starmer’s statements on Mandelson amount to knowingly or inadvertently misleading the House of Commons.Reported by Reuters.