What is developed vetting? The clearance check Peter Mandelson failed
20 April 2026
Featured in The Times
UK Security
When developed vetting was adopted towards the end of the Cold War, it mainly focused on a person’s political views. Now “they go through your life in quite a lot of detail”, Savill explained, adding that it is a comprehensive process which assesses a person’s “suitability, reliability, trustworthiness, and it’s looking at the totality of your background”.

