Keir Starmer sacks Foreign Office chief over Lord Mandelson vetting scandal

Sir Keir Starmer has sacked the Foreign Office chief over Lord Peter Mandelson's vetting scandal.

Foreign Office permanent under-secretary, Sir Olly Robbins will be leaving his position, it is understood.

Sir Keir Starmer and the Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper have lost confidence in him amid the controversy over Lord Peter Mandelson's security vetting failure.

It comes just moments after it was understood Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy did not know the Foreign Office overruled the vetting process until Thursday afternoon.

Sir Olly was appointed permanent under-secretary for the Foreign Office on January 8 last year.

He had previously come into the spotlight during Brexit negotiations under former Prime Minister Theresa May.

Earlier on Thursday, the Foreign Affairs select committee intended to summon Sir Olly over his previous evidence on the vetting process.

Dame Emily Thornberry had hoped to speak to the top civil servant over his previous evidence he had given in the Lord Mandelson vetting scandal.

The Prime Minister was not aware Lord Mandelson had been granted developed vetting against the advice of UK Security Vetting until earlier this week, the Government has said.

There have been calls for Sir Keir to resign if he knowingly misled MPs by claiming Lord Mandelson had cleared the security vetting process.

Leader of the Conservatives Kemi Badenoch said: "Last September, Keir Starmer told Parliament three times that 'full due process' was followed over the appointment of Lord Mandelson.

"We now know the Prime Minister misled the House. The Prime Minister must take responsibility."

Sir Olly also previously served under David Cameron as his Deputy National Security Advisor, a role responsible for managing Britain's intelligence and security services.

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