Ex-Tory attorney general hits out at efforts to refer Starmer to sleaze inquiry

A former Conservative attorney general has hit out at “political games” amid reports of efforts to refer Sir Keir Starmer to a sleaze inquiry amid the ongoing fallout over Lord Peter Mandelson’s vetting.

Opposition parties have reportedly been urging Commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle to allow a vote on whether to refer Starmer to Parliament’s Privileges Committee.

Labour’s huge majority in the Commons means that such a vote would almost certainly not pass but could still be damaging for the Prime Minister.

Sir Keir has faced mounting pressure over the latest scandal over the peer’s appointment as ambassador to Washington and his handling of it, including his decision to sack foreign office chief Sir Olly Robbins.

Dominic Grieve, a barrister who was Conservative attorney general for four years under David Cameron, warned against a referral to the committee.

Mr Grieve, who was appointed to lead a working group advising ministers on creating a new definition of Islamophobia last year, said: “The appointment of Peter Mandelson is currently being properly scrutinised as part of the Humble Address process and the work and hearings being conducted by the Foreign Affairs Committee.

“Seeing that this appointment is being explored during these processes and all the evidence is not yet considered, it is impossible to see how starting a reference to the Privileges Committee is either useful or indeed ‘due process’.

“Ensuring that ministers do not mislead Parliament is of great importance but it should not just be turned into political games.”

A No 10 source said: “The Tories are trying to pull off a ridiculous and baseless political stunt the week before the May elections – because they have no answers on the cost of living or the NHS.”

Parliament’s Privileges Committee is the same body that investigated Boris Johnson over the Covid-19 partygate affair.

Kemi Badenoch told The Times she was using “every parliamentary procedure we can think of to bring this to light”.

“There are many times when Starmer has said things at the dispatch box that were not true and I’ve let it go. This time he has done it repeatedly.

“He has sacked innocent people for his mistakes. He is destroying the relationship the senior civil service has with the Government,” she said.