Sir Olly Robbins, the top civil servant at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), has resigned following a Guardian investigation that revealed his department overruled a decision to deny Peter Mandelson security clearance for the role of US ambassador.
Security officials at UK Security Vetting (UKSV) had recommended against granting Mandelson developed vetting clearance in January 2025. However, FCDO officials used a rarely invoked authority to override that recommendation. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper lost confidence in Robbins after the disclosure.
Downing Street insisted that Starmer was unaware of the vetting decision until earlier this week and that responsibility lay with the FCDO. The prime minister was said to be "furious" about being kept in the dark. A government spokesperson stated that no minister was aware Mandelson was granted clearance against UKSV advice.
The revelation has sparked political fallout, with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey calling for Starmer to take responsibility if he misled parliament. The government faces questions over whether it will withhold documents from the Intelligence and Security Committee that could reveal the vetting denial, potentially breaching a parliamentary motion to release all papers related to Mandelson's appointment.
Mandelson's failure to secure vetting approval had not been publicly known despite the release of 147 pages of documents. The decision to overrule UKSV was made in late January 2025, shortly after Robbins took up his role. The identity of the official who made the decision remains unknown.
