A report by the UK House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee criticizes the handling of the appointment of Peter Mandelson as UK Ambassador to the United States. The committee says it does not accept claims that “due process” was followed. It instead concludes that Downing Street effectively pushed the appointment through, including by directing or forcing the Foreign Office to carry out the selection. The committee also characterizes parts of the process as lacking consistent procedure, stating that decisions and steps were being developed during the appointment process rather than planned in advance. The report responds to political arguments made by Labour leader Keir Starmer, who previously suggested that proper procedures had been observed. According to the committee’s findings, the circumstances surrounding the nomination and appointment fell short of what the committee considers appropriate for such a senior diplomatic post. The overall thrust of the report is that the process was not handled in a transparent or orderly manner, and that accountability within the government’s internal procedures failed to meet expectations.