Downing Street considered making Sir Keir Starmer’s former director of communications Lord Matthew Doyle an ambassador, the former top civil servant at the Foreign Office has said.
Sir Olly Robbins told the Foreign Affairs Committee he “felt quite uncomfortable” about the suggestion, which he was told “under strict instruction” to keep from then-foreign secretary David Lammy.
Lord Doyle had the Labour whip withdrawn earlier this year after it emerged he had campaigned on behalf of a friend who had been charged with possessing indecent images of children.
In response to this revelation, he said he “never sought” a role as head of mission and denied knowledge of discussions to make him a UK ambassador.
In his evidence to MPs, Sir Olly said there was an “atmosphere of pressure” to appoint Lord Peter Mandelson as US ambassador and there was “no interest in whether, only interest in when” from No 10.
In response, Sir Keir Starmer has told his Cabinet that Sir Olly Robbins made an “error of judgment” in failing to inform him of Lord Mandelson’s vetting failures, while Downing Street denied claims of a dismissive approach to the process.
Read MoreWhy The Independent’s evidence from last September is a problem for Starmer
The questions about Peter Mandelson that Keir Starmer must answer
Keir Starmer is the man who knew too little… which is one thing we can be sure of
Key Points
- Robbins says No 10 had 'dismissive approach' to Mandelson vetting
- No10 tried to find diplomatic job for former Starmer aide Matthew Doyle
- Yvette Cooper 'extremely concerned' by claim No 10 tried to make Doyle an ambassador
- Analysis: Olly Robbins reveals cronyism under Starmer is worse than we ever thought
- Badenoch accuses Starmer of being 'a man with no idea what he believes'
'More important questions out there' than Mandelson scandal, Rayner says
18:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThere are “more important questions out there” than the latest twists in the Peter Mandelson scandal, Angela Rayner has said.
Speaking at the National Growth Debate in central London, the senior Labour MP joked that she too had been “glued to my live feed this morning, hanging on every word”, adding: “And I refer, of course to your panel, Louise Hague and Chris Curtis.”
Referring to the day’s events in Westminster, where sacked former civil servant Sir Olly Robbins gave his evidence about the appointment of Lord Mandelson, Ms Rayner added: “I’ll let this sink in to any journalists that are here. There’s some more important questions out there, and it’s on that note that I want to just take a moment at the end of the day to reflect on why all this matters, and to the world outside and beyond the bubble.”
The Ashton-under-Lyne MP added: “Right now, ordinary people feel that their lives are too hard and that the basics of a good life are unaffordable.
“They suspect that this is because of an economy and a system that is rigged in favour of vested interests, and they’re right.
“This affordability crisis has been decades in the making, over and over ordinary people feel that they’ve paid the price for every crisis, the financial crash, austerity, Brexit, Covid.”
Robbins asked if No 10 told Foreign Office to ‘just f***ing approve’ Mandelson vetting
18:05 , Nicole Wootton-CaneSir Olly Robbins was asked whether Morgan McSweeney, the then-chief of staff for Sir Keir Starmer, told the Foreign Office to “just f***ing approve” Peter Mandelson’s security vetting for his appointment as ambassador to the US.
The former Foreign Office chief, who was sacked by the prime minister over the failure to disclose Lord Mandelson’s failed security checks – but he was granted developed vetting (DV) clearance anyway, said there was pressure from Downing Street to clear the appointment.
In his evidence to MPs on Tuesday (21 April), Sir Olly was quizzed by Dame Emily Thornberry about whether Mr McSweeney called Sir Philip Barton, Sir Olly’s predecessor, asking him to speed up the vetting approval for Mandelson by saying “just f***ing approve it.”
Downing Street has denied that Foreign Office officials had been “nagged or cajoled or bullied” by Mr McSweeney, and denied an “atmosphere of pressure.”
Key points after Robbins gives evidence to MPs
17:45 , Nicole Wootton-CaneFormer head of the Foreign Office Sir Olly Robbins gave evidence to MPs this morning as he sought to explain why Lord Peter Mandelson’s appointment went ahead, despite a failed security vetting.
Here are some of the key points from Sir Olly’s testimony:
– ‘Constant’ pressure from Downing Street over the process
Sir Olly said there had been “constant chasing” from the private office at No 10 while vetting took place after Lord Mandelson was announced as Sir Keir Starmer’s pick for the Washington job. However, he would not say who had been involved.
– Lord Mandelson was a ‘borderline’ case
Sir Olly said he had been briefed that UKSV considered the peer a “borderline” case but it was leaning towards recommending clearance be denied. The risks identified did not relate to Lord Mandelson’s relationship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, Sir Olly added.
– Cabinet Office ‘suggested vetting might not be needed’
The former senior official told MPs there had been a “debate” between the Cabinet Office and the Foreign Office over how to send Lord Mandelson to Washington with the appropriate clearance. “A position taken from the Cabinet Office was that there was no need to vet Mandelson,” Sir Olly said, citing his previous experience and appointment as a peer.
You can read more below:
Every revelation from Robbins’ bombshell evidence over Mandelson
Darren Jones insists 'no pressure applied' by No 10 over Mandelson appointment
17:29 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe chief secretary to the prime minister has said no “pressure was applied” by Number 10 for Lord Peter Mandelson to be cleared by security vetting.
Darren Jones told the Commons: “There is suggestion that Number 10 applied pressure on officials at the Foreign Office in relation to the security vetting process.
“It was confirmed in testimony today before the Foreign Affairs Select Committee that no such pressure was applied beyond asking for the process to be completed as quickly as possible, and by Sir Olly Robbins that no personal contact was made of him by a telephone or message.”
Mr Jones also refused to say whether the government would contest any employment claim from Sir Olly, saying he is “not at liberty to comment in respect of any potential claim to the employment tribunal”.
Leak inquiry underway after newspaper reports on Mandelson scandal
17:21 , Nicole Wootton-CaneA leak inquiry is underway after newspaper reports revealed Foreign Office officials had overruled a recommendation from UK Security Vetting (UKSV) regarding Lord Peter Mandelson’s appointment.
Speaking in the Commons on Tuesday, Darren Jones, chief secretary to prime minister, said an inquury was underway following The Guardian’s reporting last week.
Addressing MPs, he said: “I’m sure the House will be as concerned as I am that, whilst officials felt unable to provide this information to ministers, this information was made available to The Guardian newspaper.
“As a consequence of that, I can confirm that a leak inquiry is now under way.”
Exclusive: Farage urged to act against Reform local election candidates with racist, misogynistic and homophobic views
17:15 , Nicole Wootton-CaneAway from the Mandelson scandal, The Independent’s political editor David Maddox exclusively reports that Nigel Farage is under pressure to disown a string of Reform UK local election candidates over social media posts.
Reform has been plagued by vetting issues and vowed to clean up its candidates following a series of “abhorrent” incidents, including one who stood down last month after a photo of him appearing to perform a Nazi salute resurfaced.
But The Independent has found that three of its candidates have professed extreme views on social media, with Labour demanding they are suspended even though it is now too late for them to be withdrawn as candidates.
You can read the full report below:
Farage urged to act against candidates with racist, misogynistic and homophobic views
Full report: No 10 put ‘constant pressure’ on Foreign Office to get Mandelson in post
17:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneKeir Starmer is under fresh pressure after the top civil servant sacked over the Mandelson scandal claimed the Foreign Office was under “constant pressure” to approve his role as US ambassador regardless of the outcome of security vetting.
In an extraordinary two-hour-long session, Sir Olly Robbins also told MPs No 10 had tried to fix a diplomatic role for a long-term Labour adviser and Starmer ally – who has since been promoted to the Lords but suspended from the party over his links to a convicted paedophile.
Sir Olly said that No 10 had a dismissive approach to vetting and wanted Peter Mandelson in Washington “as soon as humanly possible”.
The Independent’s Whitehall editor Kate Devlin and political reporter Athena Stavrou have this report:
No 10 put ‘constant pressure’ on Foreign Office to get Mandelson in post
Robbins sacking has had 'chilling' effect on civil service, union boss says
16:45 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe sacking of former head of the Foreign Office Sir Olly Robbins over the appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson has had a “chilling effect” on the civil service, a union boss has said.
Dave Penman, who heads up civil service union the FDA, told Sky News Sir Olly was a "committed public servant" who had "spent half his life trying to protect the national security of this country".
He added: "Most civil servants will conclude that Olly Robbins has been sacked for doing his job, doing a difficult job that the prime minister asked him to do...
"That has a chilling effect for the civil service - that actually if you do the things that you're supposed to do, if you serve the government of the day when it is politically expedient, you are going to be dismissed so publicly and shamefully."
Labour MP calls for 'consequences' for PM
16:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneLabour MP Imran Hussain has called for an independent inquiry into the “whole situation” around the appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson, and for “consequences” for the prime minister.
The Bradford East MP said: “At the heart of this is a toxic and dismissive culture at Number 10. That’s a point we cannot get away from.
“That dismissal has led us to this place. This is not a small administration breach. It’s a matter of national security.
“The British public is not buying it.
“Surely we should be saying there needs to be a full, transparent, independent inquiry into this whole situation to uncover the truth – that’s what the British public want – with consequences for including the prime minister.”
Who is Lord Matthew Doyle?
16:15 , Nicole Wootton-CaneLord Matthew Doyle is a former No 10 director of communications who was made a peer after leaving Downing Street in March 2025.
He was then suspended from the House of Lords earlier this year over revelations he campaigned for ex-Labour councillor Sean Morton, who who admitted indecent child image offences in 2017.
Sir Olly Robbins told MPs earlier on Tuesday that Downing Street had initiated discussions with him about the prospect of making Lord Doyle an ambassador.
He said he “felt quite uncomfortable” about the suggestion, which he was asked to keep from then-foreign secretary David Lammy, and had warned that it would be “hard for me personally to defend”.
In a statement on Tuesday, Lord Doyle said: “I have never sought any head of mission, ambassador or any equivalent leadership-type posting.
“I was never aware of anyone speaking to the FCDO about such a role for me.
“My desire after leaving No 10 was to stay in UK politics.”
A squirming Sir Olly Robbins has just about let the PM off the hook – for now
15:54 , Holly EvansSir Olly Robbins is clearly a nice man. Big, slightly bear-like, confident, punctilious, smart. He is what you might call the civil servant’s civil servant, working for four PMs in 30 years of public service, including Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, and Theresa May as her chief Brexit negotiator. He really did, he says, see himself as the sort of chap who “gets things done” and works the process to ensure things happen.
Fundamentally, and now with some associated regrets, getting things done is precisely what he was trying to do for Keir Starmer with Peter Mandelson, and ended up being sacked for his troubles.
He was here in front of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee to talk about that sacking, following the revelation that he had failed to relay a ruling from UK Security Vetting (UKSV) to allow Mandelson’s appointment to the role of ambassador to Washington.
Read the full analysis from Sean O’Grady here:
A squirming Sir Olly Robbins has just about let the PM off the hook – for now
Matthew Doyle says he 'never sought' any ambassadorial role
15:40 , Holly EvansFormer Downing Street director of communications Lord Matthew Doyle said he had “never sought” any ambassadorial role.
He said: “I have never sought any head of mission, ambassador or any equivalent leadership-type posting.
“I was never aware of anyone speaking to the FCDO about such a role for me.
“My desire after leaving No 10 was to stay in UK politics.”
Labour backbencher warns of 'toxic culture' taking over Downing Street
15:40 , Holly EvansA Labour backbencher has called for “a thorough review of the political operation which brought the Prime Minister to power”, as he warned of a “toxic culture” which has taken hold of No 10.
In the Commons, Ian Byrne, MP for Liverpool West Derby, said Lord Peter Mandelson’s appointment “reflects a wider direction under the Prime Minister, where those behind the Labour Together project wielded significant influence in developing this toxic culture, which has been allowed to take hold of number 10 and the governing of our country”.
“It points to a political culture that lacks candour, exists to promote wealth and power and ignores all else in pursuit of this,” he added.
Mr Byrne continued: “(Sir Olly) Robbins will be a loss to the FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) and the country, all brought about by a series of catastrophic political decisions by number 10.
Badenoch accuses Starmer of being 'a man with no idea what he believes'
15:34 , Holly EvansKemi Badenoch has said Sir Keir Starmer has “no interest in doing the job of Prime Minister, just in being the Prime Minister”.
Speaking in the Commons, she said: “If we cannot trust our Prime Minister to tell the truth about this ambassadorial appointment, the whole full truth, a key appointment in Britain’s national security architecture, it calls into question the assurances he gives us on everything else.
“His promises not to control taxes, which he has broken, his promises not to raise borrowing, which he has broken, promises to back business, protect our veterans, defend our farmers, and prioritise growth, all of which he has broken.
“And he has broken them because, at his core, he is a man with no idea what he believes.
“Worse still, he appears to have no interest in doing the job of Prime Minister, just in being the Prime Minister.”
She added: “It is clear that the Prime Minister has no intention of facing up to his mistakes. It’s clear now that he is not a leader and he has no intention of doing honourable thing.”
Badenoch: PM’s claim No 10 was not aware of vetting failures despite The Independent telling them ‘doesn’t add up’
15:25 , Athena StavrouKemi Badenoch has drawn on The Independent’s journalism in the Commons to prove it “doesn’t add up” that no one in No 10 was aware of Peter Mandelson’s vetting failures.
Downing Street has insisted no one in No 10 knew UKSV had recommended against Mandelson being granted security clearance - despite The Independent’s Political Editor, David Maddox, having put the claims to the prime minister's then-director of communications Tim Allen last September.
Speaking during her emergency debate on Tuesday the Conservative Party leader said "enough people in Whitehall knew for journalists from the Independent” to find out.“
Journalists have released texts with the prime minister’s Director of Communications where they made No 10 aware of this fact,” she said.
Loyalist Labour MP says Starmer has been 'let down by those around him'
15:19 , Holly EvansA Labour MP who remains loyal to Sir Keir Starmer has said that he has been “let down by those around him” and has accepted his mistake.
Matthew Western claimed that his former chief of staff Morgan McSweeney had “leant on” officials and pushed them to appoint and proceed with Lord Mandelson.
He said: “The prime minister, in my experience of having known him since 2017, he is absolutely straight as a die. He may have accepted that advice and maybe that advice has now proven to be wrong. But he has been let down by those around him.
“He’s made a mistake, he understands that and he’s accepted it.”
Watch: Badenoch accuses Starmer of hiding behind ‘human shield'
15:12 , Holly EvansTory leader calls for vote of no confidence in PM
15:02 , Holly EvansConservative leader Kemi Badenoch has said that it is time for Sir Keir Starmer “to go” and agreed there should be a vote of no confidence in the Prime Minister.
Mrs Badenoch said: “The decision about whether he will ultimately take responsibility for his actions is now up to Labour MPs. We heard many powerful statements from that side of the House yesterday.
“Labour MPs know that the Prime Minister has let the country down, he’s let Parliament down, and he’s also let the Labour Party down. It is clear to everyone, except the Prime Minister himself, that he has failed on his own terms.
“It is clear to the public that he is failing at the job, it is clear to civil servants that he is throwing them under the bus, and it is clear to members across this House that he is not fit to lead.
“This cannot go on. This House deserves better. The country deserves better. The Prime Minister is not fit for Office. The first duty of any Prime Minister is to keep this country safe. This Prime Minister has put the country’s national security at risk. He must take responsibility. It is time for him to go.”
Badenoch accuses Starmer of thinking 'one rule for him and another for everyone else'
14:51 , Holly EvansKemi Badenoch said she thought it is “inconceivable” that nobody in Downing Street knew that Lord Peter Mandelson had not passed vetting ahead of becoming UK ambassador to the US.
She said: “I still find it inconceivable that despite that failure of vetting being a frontpage news story, no one in Number 10 was aware of it. He cannot deny that his decision put Britain at risk, and the British public deserve to know how this failure happened, and they deserve to hear it from the Prime Minister himself.”
She added: “Let’s move on to the Prime Minister’s claim that no one in Number 10 was aware that Mandelson had failed his vetting, because enough people in Whitehall knew. Enough people knew for journalists from the Independent, the Mail and Sky News to find out.”
The Tory leader said Sir Keir did not say he inadvertently misled the House on Monday, because he had said in 2022 that Boris Johnson should have resigned if he had done so.
Mrs Badenoch said: “Either he is a man of his word, or he thinks there is one rule for him and another for everyone else.”
Badenoch accuses Starmer of hiding behind a ‘human shield' as he misses debate
14:43 , Athena StavrouSir Keir Starmer is not present in the Commons as Kemi Badenoch launches a scathing attack on the prime minister during in her emergency debate.
The Conservative Party leader said “it is no surprise” that Sir Keir did not attend the debate, and accused him of sending another minister in his place as a “human shield.“
He cannot deny that his decision put Britain at risk and the British public deserve to know how this failure happened and they deserve to hear it from the prime minister himself,” she said.
“There remains serious questions about the decision to appoint Peter Mandelson. But the prime minister does not want to answer any more questions today.
“So in typical fashion he has thrown someone else under the bus. So I feel for the minister sent out as a human shield for the prime minister."
Idea No10 is victim of others is 'laughable', says Badenoch
14:41 , Holly EvansConservative leader Kemi Badenoch said the idea that Downing Street is the victim of others not following due process is “laughable”.
She said: “And we now know that Mandelson wasn’t a one off, according to Sir Olly Robbins, number 10 also asked for the disgraced Matthew Doyle, the Prime Minister’s then director of communications, to be made an ambassador. Astonishingly, the Prime Minister’s office even told Robbins to keep this request a secret from the Foreign Secretary.
“The idea that it is number 10 who are the victims of others not following due process is, quite frankly, laughable.”
Badenoch accuses Sir Keir of failing to follow process
14:35 , Holly EvansThe Tory leader has accused Sir Keir of failing to follow process, and that it was “most extraordinary” that Lord Mandelson was appointed before vetting was undertaken.
Kemi Badenoch said: “He [Starmer] mentioned the word 'process' more than a hundred times in parliament yesterday, but he was the one who didn't follow that process."
She then listed the "bombshell" revelations made by Sir Olly Robbins to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee on Tuesday morning.
Ms Badenoch said: "According to Robbins, constant pressure on the Foreign Office to get the appointments done by the prime minister... placed top secret intelligence in the hands of a man he knew to be a national security risk.
"None of this was following full due process by the letter or the spirit of that phrase. This is no longer just about what the prime minister was or wasn't told. This is about what he did before the vetting process had even started."
Starmer sent a 'serious known national security risk' to US ambassador role, Badenoch says
14:30 , Holly EvansKemi Badenoch has criticised Sir Keir Starmer in the House of Commons for sending a “known national security risk” to Washington to serve as US ambassador.
The Tory leader said: “The prime minister personally decided to appoint a serious known national security risk to our most sensitive diplomatic post.
“Peter Mandelson was not just a man who had already been sacked twice from government for lying, not just a man who had a public relationship with a convicted paedophile, but a man with links to the Kremlin and China. Links so close that they were raised as red flags with the Prime Minister before his appointment.”
She added that she could now “overstate how serious a matter this is” that Lord Mandelson had been privy to top secret intelligence.
She said: “What if he had seen something and leaked it to one of our enemies? We cannot even be sure that didn’t happen.”
Starmer has not considered position over Mandelson errors
14:24 , Holly EvansDowning Street has said Sir Keir Starmer will not resign, amid calls for him to step down over the Peter Mandelson crisis.
When asked if he had considered his resignation, the prime minister’s official spokesperson said: “No, but you've heard from prime minister that he made a mistake in appointing Peter Mandelson.”
He added: “The prime minister is completely focused every day on delivering for working people up and down this country, responding to their key concerns, whether it's cost of living, reducing immigration, delivering on NHS waiting lists.”
Emergency debate begins
14:20 , Holly EvansTory leader Kemi Badenoch has taken to her feet to begin the emergency debate, in the wake of Sir Olly Robbins’ damning evidence to the Foreign Affairs Committee this morning.
Emergency debate on Lord Mandelson vetting to begin soon
14:07 , Holly EvansAn emergency debate on the topic of Lord Mandelson’s vetting procedures is due to begin shortly.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch applied for the emergency Commons debate about the scandal, telling MPs it was “a matter of national security because the Prime Minister has admitted appointing a known serious security risk to our most sensitive diplomatic post”.
There was nothing stopping Olly Robbins from sharing vetting concerns, Downing Street insists
14:04 , Athena StavrouSir Olly Robbins set out this morning that he did not share the UKSV recommendation with ministers in order to protect the highly sensitive nature of the vetting process.
Downing Street said on Tuesday that the prime minister has acknowledged Sir Olly is “absolutely right” that confidential details shared in the process should remain confidential in order to “maintain the integrity of that process”.
However, the prime minister’s official spokesperson insisted that Sir Keir believes the UKSV recommendation itself should have still been shared.
“There was nothing stopping Olly Robbins from sharing that information,” he said.
“As demonstrated by the fact that the cabinet secretary and the permanent secretary to the Cabinet Office shared that information themselves with the prime minister last week, once they gone through the processes.”
Campaign group says Labour leadership making 'catastrophic mis-steps'
14:00 , Holly EvansCampaign group Mainstream said Tuesday’s revelations showed a “culture of centralisation and patronage” at the top of Labour was enabling “catastrophic mis-steps and undermining our relationship with the public.”
The group’s interim council said in a statement: “An already difficult set of elections may now become even harder for the hardworking Labour members and candidates out canvassing tirelessly before May.”
Every revelation from Olly Robbins’ evidence over Mandelson’s appointment
13:40 , Holly EvansThe former top official at the Foreign Office has hit back at Keir Starmer over the fallout from Peter Mandelson’s security vetting process.
Sir Olly Robbins gave evidence to MPs on the Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee on Tuesday after being sacked by Downing Street last week over the decision to grant Lord Mandelson security clearance as US ambassador despite red flags in his vetting.
The saga has become the latest chapter in a scandal which has overshadowed Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership and prompted concerns over the prime minister’s leadership and judgement.
Read the full article here:
Every revelation from Olly Robbins’ evidence over Mandelson’s appointment
Downing Street denies civil servants being 'cajoled or bullied' by McSweeney
13:21 , Holly EvansDowning Street said civil servants in the Prime Minister’s private office had not been bullied or cajoled by ex-chief of staff Morgan McSweeney.
No 10 was asked about Sir Olly Robbins’ claim that there was an “atmosphere of pressure” and “constant chasing” from within the private office about Lord Mandelson’s vetting.
Asked whether officials in the office had been “nagged or cajoled or bullied” by Mr McSweeney, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman told reporters: “No.
“As I said earlier, there is a distinction clearly between asking reasonably for updates on an appointment process … I would draw a distinction between the idea of pressure and, you know, being kept informed about the process and the progress of the appointment.”
No 10 denies 'dismissive' approach to vetting
13:15 , Holly EvansDowning Street denied showing a “dismissive” approach to Lord Mandelson’s vetting for US ambassador.
Asked whether No 10 recognised the description by Sir Olly Robbins, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said “no”, adding: “There’s clearly a difference between asking for updates on an appointment and the idea of… being dismissive about vetting.”
Full story: No 10 pushed for ambassadorship for former Starmer aide, Sir Olly Robbins says
12:55 , Dan HaygarthThe former top civil servant at the Foreign Office says Downing Street considered making Sir Keir Starmer’s former director of communications, Lord Matthew Doyle, an ambassador.
Read more:
No 10 pushed for ambassadorship for former Starmer aide, Sir Olly Robbins says
Doyle would not have been appropriate ambassador appointment, Cooper says
12:52 , Dan HaygarthAppointing Lord Matthew Doyle as an ambassador would not have been appropriate, foreign secretary Yvette Cooper told the Commons.
Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Calum Miller asked if there was a “pattern”, adding: “Will she commit to investigate and publish all records held by the FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) on the proposal from No 10?”
At Foreign Office questions, Ms Cooper replied: “I was the home secretary at the time that I understand this has taken place, so I was not involved and don’t know the circumstances.
“I am, of course, extremely concerned at any suggestion that the permanent secretary or permanent under-secretary of the Foreign Office would be told not to inform the foreign secretary.
“I can also confirm that the case that he raised, it would not have been an appropriate appointment.”
Lord Doyle, Sir Keir Starmer’s former director of communications, had the Labour whip withdrawn earlier this year after it emerged he had campaigned on behalf of a friend who had been charged with possessing indecent images of children.
Cooper: 'The prime minister, the former foreign secretary and I should have been told that there was an issue, and I am very troubled that we were not'
12:50 , Dan HaygarthForeign secretary Yvette Cooper said she is “troubled” that Keir Starmer, former foreign secretary David Lammy and herself were not told there was “an issue” with Lord Peter Mandelson’s vetting.
Speaking in the Commons, Ms Cooper said: “Yesterday, the prime minister updated the House on the fact that UK Security Vetting recommended against granting vetting of Peter Mandelson and that FCDO took the decision instead to grant vetting.
“The prime minister, the former foreign secretary and I should have been told that there was an issue, and I am very troubled that we were not.
“The result is that Parliament was not given all the information it should have been and, as I informed the select committee over the weekend, I have commissioned a review of all of the information provided, and I will write to the chair further on this shortly.”
Asked why Sir Olly Robbins was sacked as the head of the Foreign Office, Ms Cooper said: “There is a responsibility on ministers to provide accurate information to the House and to ensure that we get the information from officials as well.
“I do think that ministers should have been told, including the former foreign secretary and the prime minister, about this particular issue about the outcome of the UKSV conclusions and their recommendation.
“I do think that was relevant, certainly to the information that should have been provided to the House in September.”
Analysis: Olly Robbins reveals cronyism under Starmer is worse than we ever thought
12:33 , Dan HaygarthThe sacked Foreign Office chief gave evidence to MPs over the Mandelson scandal - and exposed the rotten core of Keir Starmer’s government, says political editor David Maddox.
Read the article below
Robbins reveals cronyism under Starmer is worse than we ever thought
'Serious process failures here', Darren Jones says
12:32 , Dan Haygarth
Darren Jones has said he does not recognise suggestions there is a culture of fear in Downing Street, after a Olly Robbins appeared before MPs to explain his part on the Peter Mandelson scandal.
Mr Jones, chief secretary to the Prime Minister, was asked about Sir Olly Robbins’ appearance in front of the Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday.
Speaking at the National Growth Debate in central London, the minister said: “I wasn’t in the building at the time, so I can’t speak to it contemporaneously, but my experience of being in No 10, especially with the officials that support and serve the prime minister, is that their job is to support the prime minister, get the job done and to make sure that these things have been done properly.
“There were serious process failures here, there’s no denying that.
“But do I recognise the challenge now that the culture of number 10 that exists today, since I’ve been in post in No 10 as a minister in No 10, is a culture of fiefdom or fear? I just don’t recognise that.”
Watch: Rigorous process followed' in Peter Mandelson appointment decision, says Olly Robbins
12:30 , Dan Haygarth'Starmer's reputation is under serious question now'
12:29 , Dan HaygarthThe Independent’s political editor David Maddox has described Sir Olly Robbins’s appearance in front of the Foreign Affairs Committee as “damning” for the prime minister, adding: “Starmer's reputation is under serious question now.”
Questions have been raised about the extent of knowledge within Downing Street, after it was revealed that David had made No 10 aware of claims Mandelson had failed vetting last September.
At that time, David was told by sources both in the UK and Washington DC that Mandelson did not, in fact, clear vetting with MI5, but the appointment was given anyway.
He put the claims to No 10’s then-director of communications, Tim Allan, who simply replied that vetting had been done by the Foreign Office in the “normal way”.
The Independent ran the story as a front-page lead in September, and it was also raised in parliament by MPs.
About Sir Olly’s comments today, David wrote on X: “This is truly damning stuff from Robbins - they tried to prevent Mandelson having vetting, they didn't consult the FCDO before the appointment, the constant pressure from No10 private office, "when not if" he was appointed, and then they put pressure on him to give Matthew Doyle an ambassador job and not tell the foreign secretary.”
“Starmer's reputation is under serious question now.”
This is truly damning stuff from Robbins - they tried to prevent Mandelson having vetting, they didn't consult the FCDO before the appointment, the constant pressure from No10 private office, "when not if" he was appointed, and then they put pressure on him to give Matthew Doyle…
In pictures: Peter Mandelson takes his dog for a walk today
12:21 , Dan Haygarth
Sir Olly 'doesn't full understand' why he was sacked
12:16 , Dan HaygarthSir Olly Robbins said he does not “fully understand” the reasons why he was sacked.
The initial announcement that Lord Mandelson was being sent to Washington as UK ambassador was made before Sir Olly took up the role of permanent under-secretary at the Foreign Office in January 2025.
By that time the process of clearing the peer was already well under way – and there had been questions from the Cabinet Office about whether he needed to go through the formal vetting process at all.
When Sir Olly took over in the Foreign Office on January 20, Lord Mandelson had already gone through the Cabinet Office’s “due diligence” process, approval had been given by the King, the US had agreed to him, he was already allowed in the building and was being granted access to “highly classified briefings” on a case-by-case basis – without his security clearance being confirmed.
The former official said all those factors “resulted in a dismissive attitude to DV (developed vetting)” from No 10 but “despite this atmosphere of pressure” he insisted the Foreign Office’s civil servants carried out the process as normal.
“I was very conscious that if we went through the rigour of our process and decided against granting clearance that would have caused a real problem for the Government and a problem for the country,” Sir Olly told the Foreign Affairs Committee.
Former top civil servant says he is 'concerned' about release of vetting system information
11:59 , Holly EvansSir Olly Robbins said he is concerned about foreign powers potentially benefiting from public disclosure about the vetting system at the heart of the scandal surrounding Lord Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador.
Asked if he has concerns about the amount of information that has been shared about the developed vetting system “in relation to what our adversaries know about us”, he told the Foreign Affairs Committee: “Yes, I am.
“It may sound paranoid but I think even the level of disclosure that the Government has offered over the last few days, British national security does not benefit from this, so we have to ask whose does.”
He added: “What I reflect on most is that the British state is dissecting itself to some extent in public over this. I understand why and this morning I’ve tried, now as a private citizen, to support that process.
“I do reflect honestly on my wonderful colleagues who are sat in the British embassy in Moscow or the British embassy in Beijing and are subjected to incredible pressure, and the way I try to lead them and support them during my time as PUS (permanent under-secretary) and of course I find myself wondering who this helps.”
Analysis: Olly Robbins' bombshell evidence is deeply damaging for Starmer
11:47 , Holly EvansBy Kate Devlin, Whitehall Editor
That will have been a deeply uncomfortable viewing experience for No 10 and the PM.
Olly Robbins laid out a series of bombshell revelations to MPs.
We learned the extraordinary fact that, despite what was in the public domain about his links to Jeffrey Epstein, the Cabinet Office did not want to vet Mandelson at all before sending him to the US.
That No10 had a "dismissive approach'' to vetting and wanted Mandelson in Washington as quickly as ‘humanly possible’.
And that, in the opinion of Robbins, there was already enough in the ‘due diligence’ report done before vetting that should have led the PM to block the appointment.
Extraordinarily, it also emerged that No 10 had tried to find a diplomatic job for Matthew Doyle, then the PM’s chief of communications, now a peer who Labour was forced to suspend earlier this year over his links to a convicted paedophile.
That could have left Sir Keir forced to sack two Labour grandees, Mandelson and Doyle, over ties links to a paedophile within a single year.
But the evidence from Robbins also cast doubt on the reason the PM says he sacked him - that he should have told Sir Keir that the recommendation was that Mandelson not receive security clearance.
But Robbins insisted he did not see that report, part of which was published by the government earlier this week, and was only told that the body that vets appointments was “borderline” on Mandelson.
The last two and a half hours will have been deeply uncomfortable for Sir Keir, who is now facing more questions to answer.
Sir Olly says he is 'desperately sad' over dismissal
11:30 , Holly EvansSir Olly Robbins has said he is “desperately, desperately sad” about his dismissal, and suggested he could pursue a “separate process” to understand the reasons behind his sacking.
He told the Foreign Affairs Committee: “I don’t fully understand the reasons that I’m in the position I am in. But that is for the separate process for me to try to get to the bottom of.”
Sir Olly added that he was “desperately, desperately sad” about his departure, saying: “I loved that job, I loved that institution, I was proud to serve this Government and any government that might follow it. I hope I was doing it to the best of my ability, I was certainly doing it as hard as I possibly could. I had wonderful colleagues who I miss deeply.
“And the issues we were dealing with and my colleagues are still dealing with are of profound importance to the success of this Government and the success of the country.”
Alleged leaking to Guardian is 'grievous breach of national security'
11:18 , Holly EvansThe leaking of details about Lord Mandelson failing security checks was a “grievous breach of national security” and prosecutions should follow, Sir Olly Robbins said.
Sir Olly said it was deeply worrying that the story was given to The Guardian newspaper within days of the Cabinet Office briefing Number 10 on the vetting issues.
“I’m not making accusations at anybody, it’s not my business to do so,” he told the committee, adding: “I hope they’re being very rigorously investigated, and that prosecutions will result, because this is a grievous breach of national security.
“I’m not an investigator, all I’m able to do is put two and two together.
“The first I heard of this deep concern and briefing of it to the Prime Minister was only really hours before it appeared in The Guardian.”
Robbins suggests Starmer knew enough about Mandelson to block his appointment - even without the vetting outcome
11:15 , Holly EvansAnalysis, by Kate Devlin, Whitehall Editor
The prime minister’s key defence in this whole row is that if someone had told him that Mandelson had failed crucial security vetting he would not have made him as the UK’s man in Washington.
But, in his evidence to MPs, Olly Robbins suggests the PM did have enough information to block the appointment.
He highlighted the ‘due diligence’ process, carried out before the vetting check, which, Mr Robbins added “threw up serious reputational risks”.
Mr Robbins told MPs: "I regret that the due diligence process, which threw up serious reputational risks, didn’t colour the PM's judgement in making the appointment".