Prime Minister Keir Starmer has accused former top civil servant Olly Robbins of deliberately and repeatedly obstructing the truth about the Mandelson vetting scandal. In a high-stakes statement to Parliament, Starmer admitted his decision to appoint Lord Mandelson as ambassador to Washington was a fundamental mistake, but insisted the Foreign Office was to blame for not briefing him about the security vetting failure.
Starmer told MPs that the Foreign Office made a “staggering” and “incredible” decision to withhold information from Downing Street. He said the vetting material has now been handed to the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC), which is expected to assess it before public release within days. The Guardian understands this includes details of Mandelson’s personal life, finances, and business dealings, as well as the recommendation that he failed vetting.
Lord Beamish, chair of the ISC, asked ministers to release documents related to the Foreign Office’s decision-making process, which the Cabinet Office said did not exist. Labour MPs expressed fury at the scandal’s resurgence, though many believed Starmer was kept in the dark. The prime minister ordered an investigation into security concerns over Mandelson’s tenure amid fears of leaks.
It emerged that Robbins, sacked last week, did not tell then-cabinet secretary Chris Wormald about the vetting failure, even during a review last September. Former cabinet secretary Simon Case advised Starmer to complete vetting before appointment, but was ignored. Robbins overturned the UK Security Vetting decision to fail Mandelson within 24 hours, stripping the Foreign Office of this power.
Starmer denied misleading the Commons, despite admitting his earlier account was wrong. He said a “deliberate decision” was taken to withhold material from him repeatedly. Robbins is set to appear before the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday, with Downing Street braced for potential revelations that could derail efforts to refocus the government.
