Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg saw Labour minister Liz Kendall brought into the BBC studio for a grilling on the latest Peter Mandelson development, after it was alleged prime minister Keir Starmer was not told the ambassador failed security vetting. The MP was left stuttering, however, as Kuenssberg confronted her with some unavoidable questions.

Kuenssberg was frank as she asked: “What did Keir Starmer get wrong here?” but Kendall dodged answering, instead saying: “What was wrong was that he wasn’t told that UK… the UK security vetting, erm, er, didn’t pa-pass Peter Mandelson. I think it was wrong not to say that… to the prime minister.

“I think it was wrong not just at the beginning but subsequently when, as you know, Laura, because you’ve had many people on your show, ministers made comments to- to Parliament and to the media and I think that is why Sir Olly Robbins lost the confidence of the prime minister and home secretary.”

Undeterred, Kuenssberg pressed: “Did the prime minister get anything wrong?”

Kendall replied: “Well, Keir has already said that it was a mistake, er, to make the appointment, and he has apologised for it. But the heart of the latest set of issues is that & decision not to say that UK security vetting didn’t clear him, but that the foreign office took a wrong decision.

“I think that, er, it is really important that he should have been told, and other ministers, and as you know Keir will be setting all of these facts out before Parliament tomorrow.”

But Kuenssberg pointed out: “The problem with that is that a previous report that had been given to Number 10 had already flagged concerns about Peter Mandelson.

“There had been back and forth between Peter Mandelson and 10 Downing Street. The prime minister had given him the job anyway. So everybody knew there were problems here.”