— ‘Barton told the committee he believed his concerns about Epstein were shared by the national security adviser, Jonathan Powell. … He told the committee it was unusual to announce the appointment before vetting had been completed. … Barton said he had been in discussions with the former ambassador Karen Pierce about extending her appointment in the US, but he was presented with the Mandelson appointment “and told to get on with it … There was no space for dialogue”.’ https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/28/ex-fdco-chief-philip-barton-concerns-mandelson-epstein-links