Sir Olly Robbins has filed a legal challenge after being dismissed as the top civil servant at the Foreign Office, according to the FDA union. Keir Starmer removed Sir Olly from his position as the chief of the Foreign Office in April following the Peter Mandelson vetting scandal. The Prime Minister expressed anger when it was revealed that Lord Mandelson had been appointed as Britain’s ambassador to the US despite failing security vetting. Sir Olly, who was the top civil servant at the Foreign Office at the time, faced criticism for overruling advice from UK Security Vetting to facilitate Mandelson’s appointment.
In response, Sir Olly stated that he had been pressured to expedite Mandelson’s placement and criticized No10 for neglecting the vetting process. His submission to the Court argues that the Prime Minister lacked the authority to dismiss the Head of the Diplomatic Service and that his dismissal was unjust and lacked due process. Sir Olly emphasized that the reasons provided for his termination were unreasonable.
Following his request for a Judicial Review of his dismissal, Sir Olly expressed regret over the necessity of legal action and called for the Prime Minister to acknowledge his error and make amends. The FDA criticized the sacking, attributing it to a significant misunderstanding of the vetting procedures. The union clarified that civil servants like Sir Olly are obligated to maintain the independence of the vetting process from government ministers.
Keir Starmer faced immense pressure regarding Lord Mandelson’s appointment as Britain’s Ambassador to the US, a decision that contributed to his political downfall. Starmer later dismissed Mandelson from his role as the “Trump whisperer” after revelations about Mandelson’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein. No10 maintained that Mandelson had misled about his relationship with Epstein.
Reports revealed that UKSV had initially denied security clearance for Mandelson, but the Foreign Office intervened to appoint him as Ambassador. Sir Olly, in a post-sacking testimony at the Foreign Affairs Committee, described Mandelson’s vetting as a borderline case and highlighted the differing assessments by UKSV and the Foreign Office’s Security Department.
