Sir Olly Robbins grilled on Mandelson mistakes - 13 things we learned

Sir Olly Robbins grilled on Mandelson mistakes - 13 things we learnedSir Olly Robbins, who was sacked by Keir Starmer last week, claimed the Government was 'dismissive' of vetting Peter Mandelson - and claimed he was ordered to find a job for a key Starmer aideCommentsNewsDave Burke Political Correspondent 11:31, 21 Apr 2026Updated 11:31, 21 Apr 2026Olly Robbins speaks to Foreign Affairs Committee over Mandelson vetting A sacked Foreign Office mandarin sensationally accused No10 of being "dismissive" of the need to vet Peter Mandelson.‌Sir Olly Robbins told a committee of MPs that it was "not a given" that the so-called Prince of Darkness would be vetted at all before being sent to Washington. Keir Starmer is fighting for political survival after it emerged last week that UK Security Vetting (UKSV) did not approve his clearance.‌The furious PM said he was never informed, and neither was his team, and Sir Olly was sacked on Thursday evening. In a lengthy grilling by the Foreign Affairs Committee, the dismissed official also claimed he was pressured to find an ambassadorial job for one of the PM's key aides.‌READ MORE: 10 major points as Keir Starmer says Peter Mandelson vetting scandal 'beggars belief'READ MORE: Nigel Farage refuses to say if he'll probe deputy's corporation tax amid £100k reportsView 4 ImagesSir Olly Robbins has said the Government was 'dismissive' of vetting1. Pressure to get Mandelson in place 'as quickly as possible'Sir Olly said that the department was under pressure to get Mandelson in place "as quickly as humanly possible".The sacked mandarin told the committee that when he took the top job at the Foreign Office last January, Mandelson's name had already been announced and he had access to IT systems.‌He said: "I arrived to a situation in which a due diligence report had been undertaken into Mandelson by the Cabinet Office, assessing the reputational...