"Sir Olly Robbins stated, 'A position taken from the Cabinet Office was that there was no need to vet Mandelson. He was a member of the House of Lords, he was a privy councillor, the risks attending his appointment were well known.'"
"'In the end the FCDO insisted and put its foot down,' Robbins explained, emphasizing the pressure from Downing Street to approve Mandelson's appointment quickly."
"'It is incredible,' said Sir Keir Starmer, expressing disbelief that the prime minister was not informed about the result of the vetting assessment."
Sir Olly Robbins defended his handling of Lord Mandelson's security clearance, stating he acted properly despite pressure from Downing Street. Concerns were raised during the vetting process, but Robbins was instructed that vetting might be unnecessary due to Mandelson's status. He faced constant pressure to approve the appointment quickly. Sir Keir Starmer expressed disbelief that the prime minister was not informed about the vetting results. Mandelson was appointed as ambassador to the US but was sacked after details of his past friendship with Jeffrey Epstein emerged.
Read at www.bbc.com
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