Foreign Office Permanent Under-Secretary Forced Out Over Vetting Controversy
The Foreign Office's most senior civil servant, Sir Olly Robbins, is to leave his position following revelations that the department overruled security officials to grant Lord Peter Mandelson clearance to become UK ambassador to the United States. This extraordinary breach of protocol has triggered a full-blown political crisis for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's government.
Security Vetting Overruled in Unprecedented Move
Security officials had initially denied Lord Mandelson developed vetting clearance, but Foreign Office officials took the exceptionally rare step of overriding this recommendation. The Press Association understands that both Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper have lost confidence in Sir Olly Robbins as a direct result of this controversy.
The Government has confirmed that the Prime Minister was unaware until earlier this week that the former Labour grandee had been granted developed vetting against the explicit advice of UK Security Vetting officials. Sir Keir has now instructed officials to urgently establish the full facts surrounding why this vetting was approved despite security concerns.
Political Fallout Intensifies Across Westminster
Downing Street sources reveal the Prime Minister is "absolutely furious" about the situation. The controversy has prompted immediate calls for Sir Keir's resignation from opposition parties, with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch describing claims that he was unaware of the vetting failure as "preposterous."
Badenoch stated emphatically: "If the Prime Minister doesn't know what's happening in his own office, he shouldn't be in charge of our country. He should go." Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey criticised Sir Keir for not informing Parliament "at the earliest opportunity" when he learned what had occurred earlier this week, accusing him of having "waited for the media to force the truth out."
Mandelson's Controversial Appointment History
Lord Mandelson, a political appointment rather than a career diplomat, was dismissed from his Washington role last September when additional details emerged about his relationship with convicted paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, who died in 2019. Sir Keir has faced sustained criticism over the decision to appoint Lord Mandelson despite knowledge that his dealings with Epstein continued after the financier's conviction for child sex offences.
Questions about the Prime Minister's judgment intensified last month when the first batch of released documents showed he had been warned before announcing Lord Mandelson's ambassadorship about a "general reputational risk" concerning his association with Epstein. This initial warning came from Cabinet Office checks based on publicly available information.
Vetting Process Under Scrutiny
The second, highly confidential background vetting by security officials occurred after the announcement but before Lord Mandelson assumed his role in February 2025. Information uncovered during this process—including any concerns—is never shared with ministers, with results being strictly binary: either clearing or barring the candidate.
Additional documents relating to Lord Mandelson's appointment are scheduled for release following pressure from MPs. In February, Sir Keir stated that Lord Mandelson had been cleared by security vetting, while simultaneously criticising the process for failing to disprove the former Labour grandee's false statements.
Senior Resignations and Systemic Failures
When Morgan McSweeney resigned as Sir Keir's chief of staff in February, he accepted "full responsibility" for providing advice that led to the "wrong" appointment decision. McSweeney also called for the vetting process to undergo "fundamental overhaul" to prevent similar failures in future.
The Foreign Office has confirmed it is "working urgently" to comply with the Prime Minister's instructions to investigate the circumstances surrounding the vetting decision. This scandal represents one of the most significant breaches of national security protocols in recent political history, with implications that extend far beyond the immediate departure of Sir Olly Robbins.
