A former high-ranking official at the Foreign Office made startling allegations against the Prime Minister’s office, accusing them of disregarding the necessity to screen Peter Mandelson. Sir Olly Robbins, who was dismissed, revealed to a committee of MPs that there was uncertainty about vetting Mandelson before his assignment to Washington. Opposition leader Keir Starmer is facing challenges following revelations that UK Security Vetting did not approve Mandelson’s clearance.
The Prime Minister expressed anger at not being informed about the situation, leading to Sir Olly’s dismissal. During a detailed interrogation by the Foreign Affairs Committee, the ousted official also disclosed being pressured to secure an ambassadorial role for one of the PM’s key aides.
Sir Olly disclosed that there was a rush to get Mandelson into his new role as swiftly as possible. When he assumed his position at the Foreign Office, Mandelson’s appointment had already been announced, and he had been granted access to various systems.
He highlighted that there was a strong expectation from No10 for Mandelson to assume his post in the U.S. before Trump’s inauguration. Sir Olly further revealed that there was a belief within the Cabinet Office that Mandelson, as a member of the House of Lords and a privy counsellor, might not require vetting.
The pressure to expedite Mandelson’s deployment led to a dismissive attitude towards the vetting process, with a focus solely on the speed of completion. Sir Olly indicated that there was constant pressure from No10 to finalize the vetting quickly, without much interest in the actual vetting outcome.
Regarding the security vetting process, Sir Olly mentioned that UKSV initially leaned towards rejecting Mandelson’s clearance due to concerns that were later deemed manageable. He emphasized that he had followed the correct procedures, despite facing pressure from various quarters.
Sir Olly declined to divulge specifics about the concerns related to Mandelson’s vetting, citing the importance of maintaining confidentiality in the vetting process. He expressed concern over the leak of information regarding Mandelson’s clearance status and emphasized the critical nature of confidentiality in national security processes.