Robbins Blasts Number Ten on Mandelson Vetting

0:00On April 21st, Sir Ali Robbins, the top foreign office civil servant Sack last week, is firing back at Downing Street. He's telling MPs on the Foreign Affairs Committee that number 10 took a dismissive stance on fully vetting Peter Manelson for the U.S. Ambassador job. Robbins says pressure was intense to get Manelson into the Washington Post fast, despite his ties to Jeffrey Epstein and business links to Russia, I, and China. Vettin kicked off on January 20th, 2025, right when Robbins stepped into the role. Cabinet office had already wrapped up due diligence on Manelson's reputation and fitness. He got limited access to top secret info on a case-by-case basis, but number 10 kept pushing hard, creating this constant chastified between offices. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is pointing the finger at Robbins, claiming he deliberately hid Manelson's vetting failures. MPs are gearing up for a rough day in Parliament, with Starmer facing tough questions. An emergency debate hits the House of Commons on Tuesday to dig deeper into the whole mess.

1:04Robbins stresses his team finish the full-developed vetting to high standards anyway. Number 10 shows zero doubt about whether Manelson should go, just obsessed with win. Manelson, a political pick over a career diplomat, held the job for nine months before Epstein details blew up. This scandal keeps heating up, with Robbins set to grill Starmer's side directly. Expect more fireworks as Parliament pushes for straight answers on rushing security for such a key role.