Sir Olly Robbins has filed a legal challenge regarding his termination as the top civil servant at the Foreign Office, according to the FDA union.
Keir Starmer dismissed Sir Olly from his position as the chief of the Foreign Office in April following the Peter Mandelson vetting controversy.
The Prime Minister expressed anger after it was revealed that Lord Mandelson was appointed as Britain’s ambassador to the US despite failing security vetting. Sir Olly, who was the senior civil servant at the Foreign Office at the time, disregarded advice from UK Security Vetting (UKSV) to facilitate Lord Mandelson’s appointment.
Sir Olly claimed that he was pressured to expedite the placement of the Labour veteran and criticized No10 for overlooking the necessity of vetting Lord Mandelson before his appointment.
In his submission to the Court, Sir Olly argued that the Prime Minister lacked the legal authority to dismiss the Head of the Diplomatic Service. He asserted that his dismissal lacked a fair process and was based on irrational grounds.
Following the request for a Judicial Review of his dismissal, Sir Olly expressed reluctance in taking legal action, stating that it could have been avoided if the Prime Minister had acknowledged the mistake and made reparations.
The FDA stated that Sir Olly’s dismissal stemmed from a misunderstanding of the vetting process, emphasizing that he was obligated not to disclose the process to ministers until a final decision was reached.
Keir Starmer faced significant scrutiny over Lord Mandelson’s appointment as the UK Ambassador to the US, which contributed to his downfall as Prime Minister.
In September, Mr. Starmer removed the Labour veteran from his role as the “Trump whisperer” following revelations of his close ties with Jeffrey Epstein. No10 insisted that Lord Mandelson had provided misleading information about his relationship with the deceased convicted sex offender.
Reports in April indicated that UKSV had not granted security clearance to Lord Mandelson, but the Foreign Office intervened to appoint him as Ambassador regardless. No10 clarified that government officials were unaware of the situation until later.
During a Foreign Affairs Committee session after his dismissal, Sir Olly described Lord Mandelson’s vetting as a borderline case, citing that the risks identified by UKSV were manageable according to the Foreign Office’s Security Department assessment.