Mps witness their own 'yes minister' moment as starmer faces scrutiny over mandelson

Keir Starmer endured a public grilling this week that evoked the classic BBC sitcom Yes Minister, as he faced questions over his handling of Peter Mandelson's failed vetting for a Washington ambassador role.

British politics mirrors 80s satire

The scenario played out like a scene from the beloved comedy, where hapless politician Jim Hacker is constantly outmaneuvered by his wily civil servant, Sir Humphrey Appleby.

This time, it was Starmer in the hot seat, with Olly Robbins, the Foreign Office's permanent secretary, appearing before the foreign affairs select committee to explain why he didn't inform the Prime Minister that Mandelson had failed his vetting for the high-profile diplomatic posting.

Robbins insisted that the government's guidance made it clear that only