Oliver Robbins, the sacked senior civil servant, has told MPs he faced 'constant pressure' to get Peter Mandelson into his post as UK ambassador to the US as quickly as possible. In evidence to the foreign affairs select committee, Robbins disclosed that the Cabinet Office urged the Foreign Office to bypass the usual vetting process, but the Foreign Office resisted and vetting eventually went ahead.
Robbins, who was dismissed by Sir Keir Starmer last week after it emerged he overturned a recommendation to deny security clearance for Mandelson, said he made the decision without seeing the UK Security Vetting (UKSV) form or knowing the full extent of national security concerns. He confirmed that senior officials had considered withholding sensitive documents from parliament, a claim denied by the prime minister's chief secretary, Darren Jones.
In his testimony, Robbins revealed that No 10 had asked the Foreign Office to find a senior diplomatic role for the prime minister's then communications chief, Matthew Doyle, and instructed him not to tell then foreign secretary David Lammy. He also said Downing Street took a 'dismissive' attitude to vetting, allowing Mandelson access to the Foreign Office building and classified briefings before clearance was granted.
Robbins told the committee: 'I walked into a situation in which there was already a very, very strong expectation... that he needed to be in post and in America as quickly as humanly possible.' He said pressure came mainly from the prime minister's private office, adding that they would only have applied such pressure if they were under pressure themselves.
Sir Keir Starmer later defended Robbins as a 'man of integrity and professionalism' who made an 'error of judgment'. The prime minister's spokesperson denied that No 10 had been dismissive of vetting, saying there was a difference between asking for updates and being dismissive. The testimony has been described as a key moment that could determine whether Labour MPs turn against Starmer, potentially threatening his premiership.
