Starmer Fires Robbins Over Mandelson's Security Vetting Fiasco

0:00On April 20, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is pointing fingers at former top foreign office official Sir Ali Robbins for hiding the fact that Lord Peter Mandelson failed security vetting before getting the nod as ambassador to the United States. Starmer says he never would have made the appointment if he'd known, and he fired Robbins last week after learning the truth. Robbins claim he couldn't share the details from the UK security vetting agency, which had rejected Mandelson's clearance. Mandelson lasted just nine months in the role before getting sacked over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, and this was a political pick, not a career. Diplomat Slot Opposition leaders are piling on, with Tori Chief Kemi-Battonak, saying Starmer broke the ministerial code by not coming clean to Parliament sooner. Lib Dem boss Sir Ed Davy even called for his resignation, while reforms Lee Anderson got tossed from the comments for straight up calling him a liar. Senator admits he should have had the full info in Parliament too, but insists he didn't

1:00mislead anyone. He called it staggering that officials withheld it multiple times, including during reviews in September 2025 and statements to committees. No ten is changing the rules now for political appointments to avoid this mess, and Robbins faces questions from MPs tomorrow. Starmer's owning the final call, but says the system let him down big time.