Keir Starmer ‘threw Olly Robbins under the bus’ in wake of Mandelson vetting row
A former deputy cabinet secretary said the prime minister threw Olly Robbins “under the bus” following Lord Peter Mandelson’s review announcements.
Sir Keir Starmer has fired the Foreign Office’s most senior civil servant after it was revealed the Foreign Office had overruled the security review of Lord Mandelson’s appointment as the UK’s ambassador to the US.
Downing Street is trying to claim Sir Keir only became aware of the affair this week when documents showing details of his appointment emerged.
The Prime Minister said it was “surprising” and “inexcusable” that he had not been told sooner, adding that he was “furious”.
But the Independent revealed on September 11 last year that MI6 had failed to purge the then Labor Party, largely due to concerns about its business links with China.
These concerns were ranked 10th but then communications director Tim Allan insisted: “The review was carried out by the FCDO [Foreign and Commonwealth Office] normally”.
The former senior civil servant has been asked to formally give evidence next week regarding the Lord Mandelson review.
He had previously told a House of Commons committee that “it was clear that the prime minister wanted to make this appointment himself”. At the debate in November, Sir Olly said he understood Sir Keir had “taken advice and formed a view and we acted on that view”.
Former deputy cabinet secretary and co-host of The Independent’s politics podcast In The Room, Helen MacNamara, spoke about the issue in an exclusive clip and said Sir Olly was “following”. [the PM’s] judgment”.
Helen and Cleo have already reviewed the Prime Minister’s files. ‘Process’ obsession with Mr Mandelson and spent an episode combing painfully first Mandelson slice in previous chapters.
MacNamara said of Robbins: “Sometimes what you do as a very senior civil servant is decide to take the risk on yourself rather than passing everything up the chain. Sometimes you say the right thing to do here is I’m not going to tell the prime minister this in full detail. I’m going to take responsibility for keeping some of that information myself because it’s the right thing to do.”
“If this could happen to Ollie Robbins with all his skills, all his talents, all the things he brings to the country every day, and yet somehow he gets fired because of the poor decision of the prime minister, then what signal does that send to everyone else?
He criticized the Prime Minister for sacking Sir Olly, describing it as “reactive” and “throwing him under the bus”.
He added: “Let Olly explain publicly what he actually did and didn’t do. Then you can make up your mind.
“Doing exactly what the Prime Minister asked him to do last January, based on the information he knew, because even by standards, if that’s the case, that’s completely unacceptable.”
Watch Helen and Cleo full reaction here
Former deputy cabinet secretary Helen MacNamara and former No 10 special adviser Cleo Watson are co-hosts of The Independent’s politics podcast. in the room. New episodes arrive every Friday. listen Apple Podcasts And Spotifyor watch YouTube.
