Labour MPs are not seeking tax rises to fund more benefits, according to Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds. He commented on leaked WhatsApp messages from Pat McFadden suggesting otherwise, calling them "embarrassing" but not reflective of his experience.
The UK Cabinet Office is set to release over 1,000 pages of documents related to Peter Mandelson's appointment as ambassador to Washington. The release, triggered by a humble address process, could raise awkward questions for Keir Starmer's government.
Japan's Cabinet Office will allow corporate employees to work for local governments as part-time staff under the corporate version of the Furusato Nozei tax donation system. This aims to boost regional revitalization and promote dual residency.
The UK government proposed a single market for goods with the EU, but EU officials reportedly rejected it, suggesting a customs union or EEA instead. Labour's red lines prevent these alternatives. The UK hopes for agreements on food, emissions trading, and youth mobility at an upcoming summit.
UK senior civil servants will receive performance bonuses for the first time under a new pay system. Most civil servants get a 3.5% rise, while senior staff receive 2.5% base increase plus 1% for bonuses. The move aims to reward high performers and improve civil service delivery.
Labour's Wes Streeting met Keir Starmer for 16 minutes, fueling speculation about a potential leadership challenge, ahead of the King's state opening of parliament.
Experts warn Europe is dangerously over-reliant on Chinese green technology, with China supplying 98% of the continent's solar panels, 88% of lithium-ion batteries and 61% of inverters. A report co-authored by former UK national security official Michael Collins says this creates serious economic and geopolitical risks, including potential 'kill switch' capabilities and supply chain vulnerabilities. The authors say Europe risks being forced to choose between opposing Chinese activity and maintaining its energy transition.
Chief property and security officer Ian Collard set to submit written answers to foreign affairs committee questionsA key figure in the row over Peter Mandelson’s appointment as UK ambassador to Washington will not appear before a parliamentary committee of MPs to give evidence.Dame Emily Thornberry had requested that Ian Collard speak to the foreign affairs committee (FAC) on Tuesday, but confirmed on Saturday that he would submit written answers instead.Whether he felt under pressure to deliver Lord Mandelson’s clearance, after Sir Olly said there was an “atmosphere of pressure” and “constant chasing” from Downing Street.Whether he had seen the cover form for Lord Mandelson’s vetting by UK Security Vetting (UKSV), the agency responsible for checks on candidates for sensitive posts, in which it had ticked two red boxes – meaning they had “high concern” and recommended “clearance denied or withdrawn”.If he was asked by anyone in the Foreign Office, Downing Street or the Cabinet Office for advice about whether Lord Mandelson required vetting for the post given he was a member of the House of Lords.If he advised on how Lord Mandelson should be treated during the period between his appointment being announced and his clearance coming through. Continue reading...
Where Olly Robbins relied on recollections, Cabinet Office’s top civil servant was at pains to link her account to paper trail Seen through the Westminster bubble, the Peter Mandelson vetting affair looks like an age-old conflict pitting ministers against mandarins. Yet the latest top civil servant to testify to parliament over what some are now calling “Mandygate” gave an intriguing account that suggested it has never been as simple as that.Cat Little, the top civil servant at the Cabinet Office, did not put it in these terms, but what she revealed was an extraordinary dispute between the country’s most senior civil servants. Continue reading...
Cat Little, the UK's most senior civil servant at the Cabinet Office, has told the Commons foreign affairs committee that 'due process was followed' in the vetting of Lord Mandelson for the US ambassador role. She said she found no documentation confirming 'pressure' from Downing Street, and that a document summarising the vetting agency's recommendation was not shared with her until 25 March - five months after Mandelson was sacked. The PM insists he was unaware the Foreign Office granted clearance against UKSV advice.
A UK minister has revealed that Foreign Office officials refused to provide a summary of why Peter Mandelson was initially refused vetting clearance during his appointment as a minister. David Robbins, then Foreign Office counterpart, resisted sending the document despite requests as part of Commons 'humble address' proceedings. The Foreign Office also initiated discussions about whether vetting was needed for Mandelson as a member of the House of Lords. Additionally, there appears to be no official record of Prime Minister Keir Starmer approving Mandelson's appointment, with boxes for the PM's comments left blank on relevant forms.
In evidence to MPs, Cabinet Office top civil servant disputes that her department suggested vetting might not be neededUK politics live – latest updatesOlly Robbins refused to hand Peter Mandelson’s vetting summary to the Cabinet Office, the civil servant who leads the department has said.The summary – which would have revealed that Robbins, the now-sacked Foreign Office head, had granted Mandelson clearance against the advice of security officials – was instead provided to Cat Little by UK Security Vetting (UKSV), she said. Continue reading...
Cabinet Office permanent secretary Cat Little has accused former Foreign Office head Olly Robbins of refusing to hand over a vetting summary about Peter Mandelson's security clearance. Giving evidence to the Commons foreign affairs committee, Little said Robbins resisted her department seeing documents connected to Mandelson's appointment as UK ambassador to the US, despite her specific request. She disputed Robbins' claim that the Cabinet Office had suggested Mandelson might not need vetting, saying emails showed it was the Foreign Office that raised this possibility given his status as a member of the House of Lords.
Cat Little, Cabinet Office permanent secretary, will give evidence to MPs regarding the vetting of Peter Mandelson for ambassadorial clearance. The hearing follows controversy over Olly Robbins's sacking and the discovery of a recommendation against granting Mandelson clearance.
Olly Robbins was sacked as Foreign Office permanent secretary over the Peter Mandelson security vetting revelations in the GuardianThe hearing has started.Emily Thornberry, the chair, started by saying that Robbins did not tell the whole truth about this process when he gave evidence to it in November. Continue reading...
Olly Robbins was forced out as Foreign Office permanent secretary over the Peter Mandelson security vetting revelations in the GuardianThe hearing has started.Emily Thornberry, the chair, started by saying that Robbins did not tell the whole truth about this process when he gave evidence to it in November. Continue reading...
Former senior civil servant Oliver Robbins told a parliamentary committee he faced 'constant pressure' from Downing Street to fast-track Peter Mandelson's security vetting for the US ambassador role, despite concerns from the UK Security Vetting agency.
Former Foreign Office permanent secretary Olly Robbins has told MPs that the Cabinet Office suggested Peter Mandelson may not need to undergo security vetting before becoming UK ambassador to Washington. Robbins said the FCDO insisted Developed Vetting (DV) was required, while UKSV was 'leaning towards recommending against' the appointment, though it was ultimately approved as a 'borderline' case. He described 'constant pressure' from No 10 to get Mandelson into post 'as quickly as humanly possible' before vetting was completed.
Documents show then-cabinet secretary Simon Case advised Keir Starmer to complete security vetting for Peter Mandelson before announcing his US ambassador appointment. The Cabinet Office released files revealing Mandelson was offered highly classified briefings before his vetting was finalized on 29 January, despite failing initial vetting by UK Security Vetting - a decision overruled by the Foreign Office. Mandelson was sacked in September after disclosures about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. Starmer will address MPs on Monday, stating he was not told about the vetting failure and that this was 'unforgivable'.
Lord Simon McDonald, former head of the Foreign Office, has described the Peter Mandelson security vetting scandal as the biggest crisis in the diplomatic service since 1982. He said Sir Olly Robbins was "basically thrown under the bus" and served as a "scalp" that Number 10 required quickly after the Guardian revealed Mandelson was appointed US ambassador despite failing vetting. Five major party leaders have now called for Prime Minister Keir Starmer to resign over the scandal.
