'Furious' Keir Starmer sacks Foreign Office chief over Lord Mandelson vetting scandal

Peter Stevens
Thu, 16 Apr 2026 22:01:14 +0000

Sir Keir Starmer has sacked the Foreign Office's most senior civil servant over the Lord Mandelson vetting scandal.

The department's permanent under-secretary, Sir Olly Robbins, will be leaving his position, it was confirmed late on Thursday night.

Both the PM and Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper lost their confidence in him after bombshell new details about the ex-British ambassador's vetting process came to light.

It emerged that the Labour grandee had failed the enhanced vetting process for his appointment in Washington - but was given the job anyway.

Downing Street insists that ministers, including David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary at the time of Lord Mandelson's appointment, did not know the Foreign Office overruled the vetting process until Thursday afternoon.

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While Rachel Reeves, speaking to reporters in Washington ahead of her meeting with her US counterpart, toed the same line.

"I didn’t know anything about the vetting process. I’m the Chancellor, I’m not the Foreign Secretary, and I’m not 10 Downing Street, so I can’t give you any more information on that," she said.

It is understood that Sir Olly was sacked after a phone call with Sir Keir on Thursday evening, which itself followed meetings between the PM and Ms Cooper earlier.

Earlier in the day, the Foreign Affairs Select Committee intended to summon Sir Olly to give fresh evidence after his previous answers on the vetting process did not uncover Thursday's revelations.

Sir Keir - reported to be "absolutely furious" - is now set to make a statement to MPs about Lord Mandelson on Monday.

But the PM is facing cross-party calls to follow Sir Olly out the door.

Reform UK chief Nigel Farage said: "Keir Starmer said in February that the security services had given Mandelson 'clearance for the role'.

"Now we discover that he has blatantly lied, the Prime Minister should resign."

While Kemi Badenoch said: "The Prime Minister appointed Peter Mandelson before the vetting had been completed, vetting Mandelson failed. Starmer then said full due process was followed. That is misleading Parliament.

"I'm only holding him to the same standards to which he's held previous prime ministers - that if they mislead Parliament, they should resign.

"In these dangerous times, Britain cannot afford to have a Prime Minister who the country doesn't trust. Starmer has betrayed our national security. He should go."

Lib Dem boss Sir Ed Davey and Green Party chief Zack Polanski have also demanded he resign.

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Morgan McSweeney resigned for his part in the appointment, with reports he advocated for Lord Mandelson to be placed in the ambassadorial role.

A phone stolen from Mr McSweeney led to fears messages relevant to the appointment of the former ambassador could be permanently lost.

At the time of his resignation Mr McSweeney said: "When asked, I advised the Prime Minister to make that appointment, and I take full responsibility for that advice."

Sir Olly was appointed permanent under-secretary for the Foreign Office on January 8 last year.

He had previously come into the spotlight during Brexit negotiations under the May Government - when he was accused of wielding "pro-EU" influence over the 2018 Chequers plan, which Brexiteers warned tied the UK too closely to the EU.

The top mandarin also previously served under Lord Cameron as his Deputy National Security Advisor, a role responsible for managing Britain's intelligence and security services.

Before that, he served as principal private secretary under Tony Blair and worked in the Cabinet Office under Gordon Brown.

A Government spokesman 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.

"Once the Prime Minister was informed he immediately instructed officials to establish the facts about why the Developed Vetting was granted, in order to enact plans to update the House of Commons.

"The Government is committed to complying with the Humble Address in full as soon as possible. Any documentation within the scope of the Humble Address that requires redaction on the basis of national security or international relations will be provided to the ISC. This will include documents provided to the FCDO by UK Security Vetting."