Kier Starmer: ‘Felt political stress’: Sacked UK official blames Starmer’s workplace over Mandelson US appointment
The previous civil servant who oversaw the approval of Peter Mandelson’s appointment as Britain’s ambassador to Washington has mentioned he felt “political stress” to fast-track the choice regardless of “safety issues.“Olly Robbins, the previous head of the International Workplace was dismissed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer final week amid a widening scandal that has prompted requires the prime minister’s resignation. Mandelson was faraway from his submit in September final yr, simply 9 months into the job, after additional particulars emerged about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted US intercourse offender who died in jail in 2019.“There was an environment of stress from the Prime Minister’s workplace and a really, very sturdy expectation that Mandelson wanted to be in submit and in America as shortly as attainable,” Robbins informed the Home of Commons International Affairs Committee on Tuesday, a day after Starmer was questioned by MPs over how the appointment was accredited.“There was a usually dismissive angle towards the safety vetting course of,” he added.Robbins additional said that the vetting company thought of Mandelson a “borderline case” and was “leaning towards recommending towards” giving him safety clearance. Nonetheless, the International Workplace gave the clearance anyway.He clarified that the “safety issues” weren’t associated to Mandelson’s friendship with Epstein. He additionally declined to say when questioned by lawmakers what led the federal government’s vetting company to flag Mandelson as a possible safety threat.For his half, Starmer has acknowledged that the appointment was a “mistake” and mentioned he would have reconsidered it had he been conscious of the vetting issues. Nonetheless, he has positioned accountability on International Workplace officers, accusing them of failing to tell him in regards to the points and of continuing with the approval regardless of them.He described it as “frankly staggering” that he was not informed in regards to the failed safety test carried out in January 2025, insisting he solely realized of it final week.(With AP inputs)
