Mandelson vetting leak a ‘grievous breach of national security’, says Olly Robbins

Politics
21 Apr 2026 • 6:45 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Mandelson vetting leak a ‘grievous breach of national security’, says Olly Robbins

  • Sir Olly Robbins labelled the leak of Lord Mandelson's failed security checks a "grievous breach of national security" and called for prosecutions.
  • The story was given to The Guardian newspaper within days of Number 10 being briefed by the Cabinet Office on the vetting issues.
  • Robbins, who was sacked last week, stated there was a "very, very strong expectation" from Number 10 for Lord Mandelson to be cleared swiftly.
  • He described a "dismissive approach" from Number 10 towards the developed vetting process for Lord Mandelson.
  • Lord Mandelson was ultimately granted developed vetting clearance despite concerns raised by UK Security Vetting, the expert agency.

IN FULL