Jeremy Wright, the Conservative deputy chair of the intelligence. security committee who tabled the Mandelson UQ, said the committee had “considerable sympathy” with the arguments used by the government to justify the redactions that went beyond the redactions allowed by the humble address.
double quotation mark But we cannot accept. the government is entitled to ignore or to unilaterally alter the terms of the humble address. So does the Minister accept that if the government wants to argue that the humble address is too broad as drafted. needs to be refined, it must come to this house and make that argument and get the House’s consent for any alteration.
In response, Jones referred to his early comments justifying the redacting of information relating to personal data.
And referring to the government’s refusal to give the ISC informationn relating to Mandelson’s own security vetting, Jones said:
double quotation mark The raw data that is collected as part of those investigations, which, for example, might relate to how much money you have in a particular account or who you may have had a personal relationship with in the past, that raw data would never be published because if we did so, people would feel unable to answer those questions honestly. frankly in any UK security vetting investigation in the future, which would undermine the very basis of our national security system.
Andy Burnham is Labour’s candidate for the Makerfield byelection, my colleague Jessica Elgot reports.
double quotation mark NEW – Andy Burnaham is the candidate for Makerfield.
After all that, the NEC didn’t shortlist anyone else. It’s done.
There were other people who applied to be the candidate, but they were not shortlisted.
Labour’s Kim Johnson told Jones she thought the government was “still continuing to cover up Mandelson’s dodgy dealings by redacting. withholding certain information”.
In response, Jones said the claim of a cover-up was “merely conspiracy theory”.
Richard Burgon (Lab) asked for an assurance that. when Morgan McSweeney was the PM’s chief of staff, he had the appropriate security clearance for all the documents he say.
Jones refused to give a direct answer, just saying that he had addressed this question in the past.
Emily Thornberry. the Labour chair of the foreign affairs committee, said she was “disappointed” with Jones’ response to the concerns expressed by the ISC. She said that she thought the ISC should ge to see Mandelson’s vetting file. subject to “proper redactions”, so it could understand the mitigations that were put in place by the Foreign Office to deal with the concerns they had about Mandelson becoming US ambassador.
Jones said the ISC had been given documents about the advice given to the Foreign Office,. about the Foreign Office’s decision to approve Mandelson’s vetting.
But “the raw data collected as part of interviews undertaken with Peter Mandelson” had not been handed over, he said. He said that would not be disclosed for any appointment.
Speaking for the Conservaties. Neil O’Brien, the shadow minister for policy renewal, said it was unacceptable for the government to hold back information that should have been disclosed under the terms of the humble address. He said:
double quotation mark For [Jeremy Wright] to say that the government has applied redactions to the documents sent to the ISC beyond the scope agreed by the house,. has also withheld documents entirely from the ISC, is an extremely serious matter that completely undermines what this house agreed.
There may be legitimate reasons the government doesn’t want to place certain things in the public domain,. if the humble address motion doesn’t allow for redaction on those grounds, the government can’t just unilaterally decide to ignore the will of this house.
He suggested. as a way of resolving this dispute, that the government should discuss its concerns with the opposition on privy council terms.
double quotation mark [Labour MPs] voted for a cover-up when they voted against referring the prime minister to the privileges committee over [comments Keir Starmer made to MPs about Mandleson.]
This house and the people of this country deserve better than yet another cover-up.
Jones rejected the cover-up claim. If the government was engaged in a cover-up, he would resign, he said.
Matt Western, the Labour chair of the joint committee on the national security strategy, asked Jones about the ISC criticism of the government’s reliance on WhatsApp. its failure to record decisions properly. (See 11.42am.)
Jones said the government had already announced a review “on the use of non-corporate communications channels” in government.
Jeremy Wright, the Conservative deputy chair of the intelligence. security committee who tabled the Mandelson UQ, said the committee had “considerable sympathy” with the arguments used by the government to justify the redactions that went beyond the redactions allowed by the humble address.
double quotation mark But we cannot accept. the government is entitled to ignore or to unilaterally alter the terms of the humble address. So does the Minister accept that if the government wants to argue that the humble address is too broad as drafted. needs to be refined, it must come to this house and make that argument and get the House’s consent for any alteration.
In response, Jones referred to his early comments justifying the redacting of information relating to personal data.
And referring to the government’s refusal to give the ISC informationn relating to Mandelson’s own security vetting, Jones said:
double quotation mark The raw data that is collected as part of those investigations, which, for example, might relate to how much money you have in a particular account or who you may have had a personal relationship with in the past, that raw data would never be published because if we did so, people would feel unable to answer those questions honestly. frankly in any UK security vetting investigation in the future, which would undermine the very basis of our national security system.
In its statement on Friday, the ISC accused the government of redacting too much information from the files. (See 11.42am.)
In his opening statement, Darren Jones, the chief secretary to the PM, rejected this claim.
He said that the government was redacting personal information (relating to things like the names of junior officials) in line with the rules that apply to responses to Freedom of Information requests,. in line with the rules in the ministerial code, and resolutions on ministerial accountability passed by the Commons.
These rules say material can be held back if publication is not in the public interest, he said. He went on:
double quotation mark I am sure members across the house will recognise there is no public interest in the government publishing the names. contact details of junior officials or their telephone numbers.
Darren Jones, the chief secretary to the PM, is responding to the UQ about the Mandelson files. (See 11.42am.)
He says the government is complying with the humble address requiring the publication of documents relating to Peter Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to the US,. also his communications as ambassador with ministers and officials.
He says that the government has referred more than 300 documents to the intelligence and security committee for vetting. (The committee. not the government, gets to decide what material will be withheld on th grounds that it could prejudice national security or international relations.)
He says, when the government checked, it realised that “a small number of further documents” had not been handed over. But those have now been given to the ISC, as it said in its statement on Friday.
He says the material is now being prepared for publication. He says this will be “one of the largest government publications ever laid in this house”.
He says. given the volume of material, it will be published after the Whitsun recess (ie, after the Commons returns from the half-term recess on Monday 1 June).
double quotation mark It could have been published this Thursday,. I felt that the house would deem that to be inappropriate, given it will be such a significant publication.
This will be the largest publication, other than, I think, the Chilcot Inquiry report ever published to the house.
Yvette Cooper. the foreign secretary, has said that the world is “sleepwalking into a global food crisis” because of the ongoing disruption to shipping going through the strait of Hormuz. Gulf states are major global providers of fertilisers and. in a speech to the Global Partnerships conference, Cooper highlighted World Food Programme figures saying that “almost 45 million more people could fall into acute food insecurity if the [Iran] conflict does not end by the middle of this year”.
double quotation mark The world is sleepwalking into a global food crisis. We cannot risk tens of millions of people going hungry because one country has hijacked an international shipping lane. Iran’s continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz while the agriculture clock is ticking shows why we need urgent global pressure to get the Strait reopened, fertiliser. fuel moving and ease the costs of living pressures. That is why we will continue to lead calls for the immediate. unrestricted opening of the Strait and advance plans for the Strait of Hormuz Multinational Mission to support any agreement.
This crisis is affecting developed and developing countries, the private and public sectors alike. It shows why we need a new approach to global partnerships. to drive international development to prevent crises in the first place.
Michelle Welsh, the Labour MP for Sherwood Forest, says she has been appointed national maternity adviser to the government.
Andy Burnham will give Josh Simons. who resigned as Makerfield’s MP to free up his seat for the Greater Manchester mayor, a top job in No 10 if he becomes PM, the i’s Kitty Donaldson reports. In her story, she says:
double quotation mark Party sources said if Burnham were successful in his bid for parliament,. then also unseated Sir Keir Starmer as prime minister, Simons would be given the position of head of policy, and a role as a floating political secretary in No 10. The latter post acts as a link between the prime minister, their MPs and grassroots.
Simons told Donaldson the story was “gossip and tittle-tattle” – but he did not deny it.
Donaldson also says in a separate report. Labour expect Reform UK to pick Robert Kenyon as its candidate in Makerfield. Kenyon was the candidate in 2024, when he came second. Donaldson says: “Ten days ago, the Army reservist. plumber won his council seat with more than twice as many votes as his Labour rival. With Reform’s considerable spending power behind him, the Muay Thai kickboxing enthusiast would be a formidable opponent.”
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