A senior Labour MP has written to the foreign secretary demanding answers about the vetting process for UK diplomats in the wake of Peter Mandelson's sacking as US ambassador.

Emily Thornberry, chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, has outlined a series of questions in a letter to Yvette Cooper about the appointment of Lord Mandelson and his subsequent removal over his links to disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

She also urges Ms Cooper to "look again at pre-appointment scrutiny so that it might prevent such embarrassing diplomatic incidents as this from occurring again".

Image: Ms Thornberry highlighted 'potentially very serious' claims surrounding the appointment

Ms Thornberry writes: "It has been suggested by a number of media outlets that secur

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