Sir Olly Robbins, the top civil servant at the Foreign Office, has been forced to resign after a Guardian investigation revealed his department overruled a decision to deny Peter Mandelson security clearance for his role as US ambassador.
Mandelson, appointed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer in January 2025, failed the developed vetting process—a highly confidential background check by UK Security Vetting (UKSV). Despite this, Foreign Office officials used a rarely invoked authority to override the recommendation.
Downing Street insisted Starmer had no knowledge of the overruling until this week, with a spokesperson saying the prime minister was “furious” about being kept in the dark. The decision to grant clearance against UKSV advice was taken solely by FCDO officials, not ministers.
The revelation has sparked political turmoil, with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey calling for Starmer to resign if he misled parliament. Starmer had previously stated Mandelson received “clearance for the role”.
Further documents are due to be released, but senior officials have considered withholding some from parliament’s intelligence and security committee, potentially breaching a parliamentary motion for full disclosure. The government has pledged to comply with the motion, with redactions only for national security.
