Olly Robbins’ account of Mandelson vetting piles pressure on Starmer
details.
- Downing Street had tried to [find a senior diplomatic role for another of Starmer’s close allies](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/21/foreign-office-asked-to-find-role-senior-starmer-aide-matthew-doyle-olly-robbins-peter-mandelson) – his former communications chief Matthew Doyle – and asked Robbins to keep David Lammy, then