Sir Olly Robbins has admitted there was a "dismissive approach" by No10 towards the vetting of Lord Peter Mandelson, which meant there was a "very, very strong expectation" that he would become the UK's chief diplomat to the US.
Speaking to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, Sir Olly said: "I'm afraid I walked into a situation in which there was already a very, very strong expectation, and you will have seen the papers released already under the humble address, that coming from number 10, that he needed to be in post and in America as quickly as humanly possible.
"The very first formal communication of this to my predecessor from number ten, private office being that they wanted all this done at pace and Mandelson in post before inauguration. So that's the situation I faced."
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