"Collard stated that he had not seen the assessment summary produced by the vetting agency when he briefed Olly Robbins. He received an oral briefing from a member of the FCDO's personnel security team instead."
"The UKSV assessment summary noted that Mandelson was a high concern and recommended that clearance be denied, describing him as a very borderline case."
"Collard mentioned that the decision to grant Mandelson clearance was the only time he had discussed a specific vetting decision with Robbins or his predecessors."
Ian Collard, a Foreign Office security official, testified that he felt pressured to expedite Peter Mandelson's vetting clearance due to contacts from Downing Street. He had not seen the vetting agency's assessment summary when briefing Olly Robbins, the former permanent secretary. The UK Security Vetting (UKSV) had recommended against granting clearance, labeling Mandelson as a high concern. Collard only reviewed the assessment after Mandelson's removal from his post. The FCDO acknowledged the decision to override UKSV's recommendations as unusual but not exceptional.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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