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Robbins v Starmer: the key points they disagree on over Mandelson vetting
UK NewsPolitics•April 21, 2026 at 1:51 PMNational

Robbins v Starmer: the key points they disagree on over Mandelson vetting

By Kiran Stacey Policy editor•The Guardian - UK News

Sacked civil servant says it was right not to tell PM that Mandelson had failed vetting – a view Starmer rejectsIn the last 24 hours, the two men at the heart of the Peter Mandelson vetting scandal have given their version of events: Keir Starmer, the prime minister, and Olly Robbins, the man he sacked as the head civil servant at the Foreign Office.Robbins’ testimony to the foreign affairs select committee on Tuesday completes much of the picture as to why Mandelson was given security clearance against the advice of vetting officials. Continue reading...

Sacked civil servant says it was right not to tell PM that Mandelson had failed vetting – a view Starmer rejects

In the last 24 hours, the two men at the heart of the Peter Mandelson vetting scandal have given their version of events: Keir Starmer, the prime minister, and Olly Robbins, the man he sacked as the head civil servant at the Foreign Office.

Robbins’ testimony to the foreign affairs select committee on Tuesday completes much of the picture as to why Mandelson was given security clearance against the advice of vetting officials.

Continue reading...