Government documents reveal no record of security mitigations for Peter Mandelson's appointment as Washington ambassador, despite assurances to MPs. Files detail concerns over foreign associations, raising questions about vetting processes.
Ministers are accused of a cover-up after admitting to withholding information on Peter Mandelson's appointment as Washington ambassador from a parliamentary committee. MPs criticize the delay in publishing documents, fearing it's to avoid pre-election scrutiny.
Sacked civil servant tells select committee of ‘pressure’ to give clearance and ‘dismissive’ attitude to vettingThe civil servant sacked by Keir Starmer has given a devastating account of his government, saying Downing Street put huge pressure on the civil service to approve the appointment of Peter Mandelson as Washington ambassador despite the concerns of vetting officials.Olly Robbins, the former top official at the Foreign Office, said No 10 took a “dismissive” attitude to vetting, and Mandelson was given access to the Foreign Office building and to “higher-classification briefings” before he was granted security clearance. Continue reading...
Sacked civil servant tells select committee of ‘pressure’ to give clearance and ‘dismissive’ attitude to vettingThe civil servant sacked by Keir Starmer has given a devastating account of his government, saying Downing Street put huge pressure on the civil service to approve the appointment of Peter Mandelson as Washington ambassador despite the concerns of vetting officials.Olly Robbins, the former top official at the Foreign Office, said No 10 took a “dismissive” attitude to vetting, and Mandelson was given access to the Foreign Office building and to “higher-classification briefings” before he was granted security clearance. Continue reading...
Keir Starmer has accused former Foreign Office permanent secretary Olly Robbins of deliberately obstructing the truth about Peter Mandelson's failed security vetting for the Washington ambassador role. Starmer admitted appointing Mandelson was a 'fundamental mistake' but blamed the Foreign Office for a 'staggering' decision not to brief him about the vetting advice. Robbins, sacked last week, will appear before the Commons foreign affairs committee on Tuesday. The prime minister has ordered an investigation and handed vetting documents to the Intelligence and Security Committee.
