Vetting process for Mandelson needed more awkward questions, expert says

System used for civil servants not thorough enough for those with baggage' of years in politics or business, Peter Ricketts says

Downing Street cannot appoint politicians or business figures to senior diplomatic posts using the same security vetting it uses to check civil servants, a former national security adviser has said.

Peter Ricketts said there had to be more awkward questions" asked of a person such as Peter Mandelson than the system allows, given all the baggage" of his three decades in politics and business.