Keir Starmer has dismissed Sir Olly Robbins from his position at the Foreign Office following the controversy surrounding Peter Mandelson’s security vetting.
The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary have reportedly lost trust in the senior civil servant, leading to his departure. This decision was prompted by the revelation that Lord Mandelson was appointed as the US ambassador despite failing his security clearance.
Sir Olly, who was the top civil servant at the Foreign Office at the time, overruled advice from UK Security Vetting (UKSV) to enable Lord Mandelson to assume the prestigious role.
No10 clarified that the Prime Minister was unaware of the initial denial of clearance for the Labour figure. Keir Starmer has initiated an urgent investigation into the approval of Lord Mandelson’s vetting process amid concerns of potential misinformation to MPs.
The Foreign Office stated that they are swiftly addressing the matter as per the request.
Keir Starmer has faced significant scrutiny since appointing Lord Mandelson as the UK’s representative in Washington. The former Labour figure, who previously served under Gordon Brown and Tony Blair, was tasked with managing relations with US President Donald Trump.
However, Lord Mandelson was dismissed in September after new emails surfaced regarding his association with Epstein.
A Government spokesperson confirmed that no ministers were informed of Lord Mandelson’s initial security clearance denial in January 2025. The responsibility for granting Developed Vetting to Lord Mandelson against UK Security Vetting’s advice was attributed to Foreign Office officials.
No10 emphasized that the Prime Minister was unaware of this decision until recently and has instructed officials to investigate the matter thoroughly.
The Foreign Office spokesperson mentioned that the Prime Minister has initiated a process to ascertain the details of the developed vetting approval and they are actively cooperating with this process.
It has been reported that Deputy PM Mr. Lammy, now serving as the Justice Secretary, only became aware of the situation on Thursday.