Red flags that meant Mandelson failed vetting may never be revealed

Lord Mandelson failed the highest form of security clearance that grants access to “top secret” government material. An extraordinary set of revelations suggests that this decision itself was kept secret. The disgraced peer was initially refused clearance to become Britain’s ambassador to the US following a developed vetting process in January last year, but this decision was overruled to ultimately install him in the position. It is not yet clear what specifically caused Lord Mandelson to fail the vetting, although his links to China, Russia and the paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein have long prompted questions about his suitability for the…