Mandelson crisis shows Starmer is ‘either a fool or a knave’, says former chancellor

Former chancellor Nadhim Zahawi has said there is “no way questions wouldn’t have been raised” when The Independent’s political editor David Maddox asked for details about Peter Mandelson’s security vetting. David Maddox sent a text to Downing Street’s Director of Communications, Tim Allan, in September 2025 after two sources told him Mandelson had failed his vetting. Allen responded: “Vetting done by FCDO in a normal way.” Zahawi, who defected from the Tories in January 2026, where he served as Chancellor of the Exchequer under Boris Johnson, insisted Allen must have been curious about where the story came from.