Former MI6 chief questions Mandelson security clearance mitigations

Former MI6 head Richard Dearlove has stated it would have been “totally impossible” to implement mitigations for Peter Mandelson’s associations with senior figures in China, Russia and Israel during his tenure as UK ambassador to the US. The comments follow revelations that vetting agencies flagged Mandelson’s ties to Chinese finance minister Lan Fo’an, Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska and former Israeli general Tamir Hayman, alongside a £1m loan for an Israeli startup.

Despite UK Security Vetting (UKSV) recommending denial of developed vetting clearance, former permanent secretary Olly Robbins granted it based on proposed management actions. The decision has drawn criticism from opposition leaders and MPs, with accusations of a cover-up and reckless appointment, while the government faces pressure to release full documents under a parliamentary humble address.

Dearlove, who led MI6 between 1999 and 2004, argued that the only conceivable mitigation would be restricting the ambassador’s access to certain papers, which he described as “totally impossible” in practice. “The whole thing is completely extraordinary,” he said. “What mitigations could you put in place? The only mitigations I can think of is that certain papers that are circulated in the Washington embassy cannot be viewed by the ambassador. That would be totally impossible.”

Sources indicate UKSV flagged Mandelson’s close relationships with Chinese Finance Minister Lan Fo’an, Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska and former Israeli military intelligence general Tamir Hayman. A fourth individual, described as British and with whom Mandelson has a “very close relationship,” was also flagged as potentially compromising. UKSV noted a £1m loan Mandelson received to invest in an Israeli startup as a specific concern.

Emily Thornberry, chair of the foreign affairs select committee, stated that Mandelson’s links make Olly Robbins’ assertion that UKSV regarded the case as “borderline” “pretty incredible.” The intelligence and security committee publicly accused the government on 15 May of withholding vetting documents and implementing redactions “far too broadly.”

Darren Jones, Cabinet Office minister, defended the government’s right to withhold sensitive files and denied a cover-up, while Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey and shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel condemned the appointment as reckless. Davey claimed No 10 knew of Mandelson’s business relationships with China and Russia, while Patel said a man with such links should never have been handed one of the country’s most sensitive diplomatic posts.