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Foreign Office’s top civil servant Olly Robbins to leave post over Mandelson vetting row

Keir Starmer had by then announced he would be making Mandelson ambassador, posing a dilemma for officials at the Foreign Office, who decided to employ a rarely used authority to override the recommendation from security

Starmer to face MPs for first time since Olly Robbins’ Mandelson evidence – UK politics live

Keir Starmer faces PMQs today with the [Peter Mandelson](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/peter-mandelson) vetting row still dominating the Westminster agenda and – in the view of most observers familiar with the views of Labour MPs – the wagons

UK PM Starmer admits Mandelson mistake, rejects resignation calls

Keir Starmer has admitted he was wrong to appoint Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington, but rejected mounting calls to resign. Starmer told the UK Parliament on Monday that, while the appointment was a mistake

Key points from Starmer's Mandelson statement

Starmer has been in the Commons again defending his actions over the appointment of Lord Mandelson as ambassador to the US. It comes after it emerged the peer was given security clearance for the role

Morgan McSweeney, Starmer’s former chief of staff, to be questioned by MPs

Keir Starmer’s premiership. As MPs attempt to unravel the facts, McSweeney is to appear next Tuesday to respond to allegations that Downing Street put huge pressure on the civil service to approve his appointment

Monday briefing: How is it possible the prime minister didn’t know about Mandelson’s vetting failure?

failure? Good morning. Today the prime minister will face parliament in the wake of the [Guardian’s exclusive revelation](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/16/revealed-mandelson-failed-vetting-but-foreign-office-overruled-decision) that during the process of appointing Peter Mandelson as ambassador

Starmer was kept in dark about Mandelson’s vetting by two top civil servants

Keir Starmer at a Cabinet meeting in February. Photograph: Kin Cheung/AFP/Getty Images A government source insisted Little “did not sit on the information” but was involved in a complex process and was trying to establish

Olly Robbins is just the latest: a guide to the high-profile exits under Starmer’s tenure

Keir Starmer’s two-year tenure as prime minister. Here we take a look at some of the most high-profile resignations since Starmer came to power. ## Officials 1. --- ### Sue Gray Gray was the prime

Revealed: Mandelson failed vetting but Foreign Office overruled decision

Keir Starmer had [by then announced](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/dec/20/appointment-peter-mandelson-new-uk-ambassador-to-us-divides-labour-mps) he would be making Mandelson the UK’s chief diplomat in Washington, posing a dilemma for officials at the Foreign Office, who decided