Prime Minister’s critics see parallels with his position over Lord Mandelson’s vetting to that during ‘partygate’ scandal
Daily Telegraph 20/04/26
Sir Keir Starmer once condemned Boris Johnson for “taking the British public for fools” by claiming he did not know what was going on in Downing Street during the “partygate” scandal.
While he was leader of the opposition, the Labour leader suggested that the former prime minister was “trashing the ministerial code” by misleading Parliament.
Standing at the Dispatch Box in 2022, he rejected Mr Johnson’s claim that he did not know that civil servants were partying in Downing Street during lockdown.
The Prime Minister’s critics have seized on footage of him criticising Mr Johnson in one of their exchanges during Prime Minister’s Questions, claiming there are parallels with Sir Keir’s position over the Mandelson vetting scandal.
Sir Keir said at the time: “Look, there are only two possible explanations. Either he’s trashing the ministerial code, or he is claiming he was repeatedly lied to by his own advisers and that he didn’t know what was going on in his own house and his own office. Come off it.
“He really does think that it’s one rule for him and another rule for everyone else. When is he going to stop taking the British public for fools?”
The footage has resurfaced as the Prime Minister faces fresh peril about the latest revelations around the appointment of Lord Mandelson as ambassador to the US.
It emerged that the disgraced peer, whom Sir Keir was forced to sack over his links to Jeffrey Epstein, failed security vetting but was given the job in Washington regardless.
Sir Olly Robbins was sacked last week over the revelations, as the Prime Minister insisted he had not known until Tuesday that Lord Mandelson had failed his vetting.
Sir Keir has appeared in the House of Commons to explain himself, telling MPs that it was unforgivable he had not been told about the vetting failure.
Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, has accused the Prime Minister of a more serious breach of standards than “partygate”, which ultimately led to Mr Johnson’s resignation.
Mr Johnson insisted in the House of Commons that he had been “repeatedly assured” by advisers that no Covid rules were broken in No 10.
Labour Party leader Keir Starmer speaking in the House of Commons
Keir Starmer told Boris Johnson in 2022 to ‘come off it’ when the former Conservative prime minister claimed he did not know about partying in Downing Street during lockdown Credit: AFP
But he was forced to apologise and pay a fine because he and Rishi Sunak, his then chancellor, had attended his birthday party in Downing Street during lockdown.
Mrs Badenoch told LBC on Monday: “I’m not a hypocrite. Keir Starmer stood up there, said he would be whiter than white.
“Let’s remember what he was accusing Boris Johnson of was not adhering to social distancing rules during Covid, rules which the prime minister then had created himself.”
“People like me resigned from Boris Johnson’s government,” she added.
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