Top civil servant calls on lawyers advice over Mandelson vetting dismissal
Sir Olly Robbins, who is set to answer MPs’ questions over Lord Peter Mandelson’s appointment, is reportedly taking legal advice after he was ousted over the vetting scandal.
Last week, Robbins, the Foreign Office permanent under-secretary, was dismissed after it emerged that the disgraced Mandelson had been denied clearance in a security vetting process.
Mandelson failed to pass a confidential security-led vetting process following initial Cabinet Office checks, but officials overruled security officials to allow the disgraced peer to stay in Washington, DC.
It was reported that the Foreign Office overruled a branch of the Cabinet Office, UK Security Vetting (UKSV), which scrutinises appointments of civil servants and considers national security.
Sir Keir Starmer sacked Robbins on Thursday night before accusing him of an “unforgivable” failure to warn him that Mandelson had failed his security vetting.
Robbins is set to make an appearance before the House of Commons foreign affairs committee on Tuesday, according to the Financial Times, and as a result is consulting lawyers.
Starmer set to speak to MPs
Lord Simon McDonald claimed Robbins was “thrown under the bus” after Mandelson’s failed vetting came to light. The former permanent secretary at the Foreign Office, who said this was the biggest crisis in the diplomatic service, stated that Robbins was a “scalp” for No 10.
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy said that Starmer would have stopped Mandelson from becoming the UK ambassador to the US if he had known about the security concerns.
Starmer confirmed he would appear before MPs on Monday and set out “all the relevant facts”, offering “full transparency full accountability”.
The Prime Minister, who rejected calls to resign, reportedly will argue he should have been told by Robbins that Mandelson had failed a vetting check before he took up his post as UK ambassador to Washington, and that it was “staggering” he had been left in the dark.