US EditionFired former UK official says he felt political pressure to approve Mandelson as US ambassador
Robbins said Downing Street wanted Mandelson in post quickly, while UK Security Vetting viewed him as a borderline case and leaned against clearance.
- On Tuesday, former Foreign Office Permanent Under-Secretary Sir Olly Robbins testified that Downing Street exerted constant pressure to rush Peter Mandelson's security vetting in January 2025, telling the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee of an "atmosphere of pressure."
- Vetting officials from the United Kingdom Security Vetting agency deemed Mandelson a "borderline case" and leaned against granting clearance; the Foreign Office nonetheless overruled this recommendation in February 2025, authorizing his appointment.
- Robbins described a "dismissive attitude" from Downing Street toward the clearance process, claiming officials showed "never any interest" in whether Mandelson met security standards, focusing solely on the speed of his Washington arrival.
- Prime Minister Keir Starmer claimed on Monday he was "frankly staggered" to learn of the vetting failure, asserting officials deliberately withheld information; opposition leaders demanded answers about what he knew and when.
- Parliament holds an emergency debate on Tuesday as the government faces scrutiny, with the Intelligence and Security Committee urging expedited disclosure of vetting documents while Starmer initiated a formal review of the process.
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Takeaways from former top UK official's testimony on the Mandelson appointment scandal
The former leader of Britain's Foreign Office has revealed details about the appointment of Peter Mandelson as the U.K.'s ambassador to Washington despite failing security checks
Former senior government official stated that Mandelson's appointment was practically treated as a fait accompli
Olly Robbins stated that the Department of Foreign Affairs would have granted Peter Mandelson a security clearance in January 2025, despite an unfavorable opinion from the department responsible for monitoring his background. Downing Street denies.
5 things we learned from Sir Olly Robbins giving evidence on Peter Mandelson’s appointment
Sir Olly Robbins, former head civil servant at the Foreign Office, appeared before the Foreign Affairs Select Committee today to give evidence on Peter Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador. Sir Keir Starmer fired Robbins last week, after it emerged that the foreign office had granted Mandelson security clearance despite him failing the vetting process. Mandelson was fired from his ambassador position last September after it was revealed that…
What does the Mandelson row mean for Starmer?
Keir Starmer’s future once again hangs in the balance over his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador to Washington, despite the peer’s well-known links to China and friendship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.The prime minister accused the Foreign Office of hiding from Downing Street that the UK Security Vetting organisation recommended that Mandelson be denied full security clearance. But today the former head of the Foreign Offic…
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