Sir Olly Robbins, the top civil servant at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), has been forced to resign after a Guardian investigation revealed that his department overruled a decision to deny Peter Mandelson security clearance ahead of his appointment as UK ambassador to Washington.
It emerged that in January 2025, Mandelson failed the developed vetting process – a highly confidential background check conducted by UK Security Vetting (UKSV), a division of the Cabinet Office. However, FCDO officials used a rarely exercised authority to override that recommendation, allowing Mandelson to take up the post.
Downing Street insisted that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had no knowledge that security officials had advised against granting clearance. The prime minister only became aware earlier this week and immediately ordered an investigation, reportedly furious at being kept in the dark.
Opposition leaders demanded Starmer’s resignation. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said if the prime minister misled parliament he “must take responsibility”, while Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey stated: “If Keir Starmer has misled parliament and lied to the British people, he has to go.”
The government has released 147 pages of documents on the appointment but the vetting failure was not disclosed. Senior officials are now considering whether to withhold further documents from the Intelligence and Security Committee, potentially breaching a parliamentary motion requiring the release of all papers relating to Mandelson’s appointment.
