BREAKING: Top Foreign Office official Olly Robbins sacked after Mandelson vetting failings

Starmer orders Foreign Office to explain after overruling Mandelson vettingThe Prime Minister was not aware that the former Labour grandee was granted developed vetting against the advice of UK Security Vetting until earlier this week, the Government has saidCommentsNewsHelen Corbett and Sophie Wingate23:06, 16 Apr 2026Updated 23:13, 16 Apr 2026View 2 ImagesPrime Minister Keir Starmer pictured today(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)Sir Keir Starmer has ordered the Foreign Office to explain how Lord Peter Mandelson was cleared to become UK ambassador to the US after it emerged the department had overruled a security vetting process.‌The Prime Minister was not aware that the former Labour grandee was granted developed vetting against the advice of UK Security Vetting until earlier this week, the Government has said.‌He then immediately instructed officials to establish the facts about why vetting was granted, and the Foreign Office has said it is “working urgently” to comply with this request.‌Downing Street sources say the Prime Minister is “absolutely furious”.It comes after The Guardian reported that security officials initially denied the peer clearance, but it was after the Prime Minister had already named him as Britain’s top diplomat in the US, and the Foreign Office took the rare step of overruling the recommendation.Sir Keir has previously insisted due process was followed in the appointment, and that Lord Mandelson had lied about the extent of his links with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.‌Sir Keir has previously said that vetting carried out independently by the security services “gave him clearance for the role”.But the peer was not granted approval following the secretive process by the Cabinet Office’s UK Security Vetting (UKSV) last January, The Guardian reported.A Government spokesperson said: “The decision to grant developed vetting to Peter Mandelson against the recommendation of UK Security Vetting was taken by officials in the FCDO.”‌They add...