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 for his role as US ambassador.
Sir Olly Robbins, the permanent under-secretary, left his post after it emerged that Mandelson had failed a developed vetting process in January 2025. Security officials recommended against granting clearance, but the FCDO used a rarely invoked authority to override that advice.
Downing Street insisted Prime Minister Keir Starmer had no knowledge of the security officials' recommendation until this week, and that responsibility lay with the FCDO. A government spokesperson said: 'Neither the prime minister, nor any government minister, was aware that Peter Mandelson was granted developed vetting against the advice of UK Security Vetting until earlier this week.'
The revelation has sparked political turmoil, with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey calling for Starmer's resignation if he misled parliament. The government has released 147 pages of documents on the appointment, but the vetting failure was not previously disclosed.
Senior officials are reportedly considering whether to withhold further documents from the Intelligence and Security Committee, which could breach a parliamentary motion demanding all papers relating to Mandelson's appointment. A Downing Street spokesperson said the government was 'committed to complying' with the motion, with redactions for national security.
