00:00Do you recall any dismissiveness in Number 10 about the importance of vetting, and if so, how was that communicated
00:07to you?
00:10I think the interest, I think, I wouldn't use the word dismissive, the word I would use is uninterested.
00:18I think, you know, people wanted to know all the practical steps required for Mandelson to arrive in Washington,
00:26on or around, by or around the inauguration date needed to be completed, you know, at pace, as it were,
00:39and that was it, the interest.
00:41I mean, no one, you know, to be honest with you, no one said to me, look, Philip, the Prime
00:45Minister knows there's some risks around this.
00:48Can you really, really make sure that the vetting is done rigorously?
00:52I mean, it's always rigorous anyway, but that wasn't the sort of thing being communicated.
00:55The sort of thing was, fine, he needs vetting, make sure it's done in time.
Comments