Olly Robbins’ account of Mandelson vetting piles pressure on Starmer
Sacked civil servant tells select committee of ‘pressure’ to give clearance and ‘dismissive’ attitude to vetting
The civil servant sacked by Keir Starmer has given a devastating account of his government, saying Downing Street put https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/21/olly-robbins-peter-mandelson-vetting-keir-starmer">huge pressure on the civil service to approve the appointment of Peter Mandelson as Washington ambassador despite the concerns of vetting officials.
Olly Robbins, the former top official at the Foreign Office, said No 10 took a “dismissive” attitude to vetting, and Mandelson was given access to the Foreign Office building and to “higher-classification briefings” before he was granted security clearance.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/21/olly-robbins-account-mandelson-vetting-piles-pressure-on-starmer">Continue reading...Mandelson Vetting Scandal Rocks Starmer
- Sacked civil servant Olly Robbins reveals 'constant pressure' to get Mandelson in post Sky News —
- Downing Street pressured me to approve Mandelson hire, sacked Foreign Office chief says Channel 4 News —
- Mandelson crisis: Starmer’s future ‘hanging in the balance’ Channel 4 News —
- Ex-UK official says he felt pressure over Mandelson from PM’s office South China Morning Post —
- UK: No 10 had "dismissive attitude" to Mandelson's vetting France 24 —