Senior UK Foreign Office official leaves post after Mandelson vetting controversy

The most senior official at the UK Foreign Office, Sir Olly Robbins, is leaving his post following a controversy over the security vetting of Lord Mandelson for the role of ambassador to the United States.

Robbins effectively lost his position after the Foreign Office overruled the vetting agency's recommendation to fail Mandelson.

Lord Mandelson was appointed as the UK's ambassador to the US in December 2024 before completing the required security vetting, which he ultimately failed.

Despite this, the Foreign Office allowed him to assume the role in February 2025.

Mandelson was dismissed from the ambassadorial post seven months later due to revelations about his ties to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, and Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper reportedly lost confidence in Robbins following the vetting override.

This incident has raised significant concerns about the integrity of the vetting process and political interference in sensitive diplomatic appointments.

It has also led to criticism of the Prime Minister for allegedly misleading Parliament about the thoroughness of the vetting.

Sir Keir Starmer had publicly stated that "full due process" was followed during Mandelson's appointment, a claim now questioned amid the controversy.

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