Mandelson No in-depth vetting prior to handing him top job

Peter Mandelson was not subject to in-depth security vetting prior to his appointment as ambassador to Washington, the government has said.

- Eleni Courea Political correspondent

The Cabinet Office conducted a due diligence process on Mandelson before he was chosen for the role but this was not a security check, the Foreign Office said in a letter to MPs.

Mandelson went through the ambassadorial appointment process, including in-depth national security vetting, only after his appointment had been announced to the public.

The disclosure, made by the foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, and the department's top official, Oliver Robbins, raises further questions about the lack of rigour involved in Mandelson's appointment to the top diplomatic post earlier this year.