Sir Olly Robbins Fired Over Mandelson Appointment

0:00On April 18, Sir Ali Robbins got sacked as the top civil servant at the foreign office after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary, a vet Cooper lost confidence in him. The issues stems from the department pushing through Lord Peter Mandelson's appointment as Britain's ambassador to Washington back in January 20, 25, even though security vetting raised red flags. Earlier this week, it came out that the Prime Minister only learned on Tuesday about those vetting concerns being overruled. Sir Keir called it staggering and said he was absolutely furious, leading to Robbins stepping down that same Thursday night. Lord Simon McDonald, a former permanent secretary there from 2015 to 2020, blasted the move on BBC Radio 4. He said number 10 wanted a quick scalp and basically threw Robbins under the bus without due process or a chance to explain. McDonald defended the vetting call, noting those reports stay super confidential under law, like medical records and aren't shared with politicians.

1:01He argued it wasn't a stray failure, but involved judgment calls that the top official handled by the rules. This shakes up the diplomatic service in its biggest crisis since 1982, right when global tensions are high. The foreign office needs a new head fast from inside, someone ready to jump in day one.