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UK security clearance failure for Mandelson triggers top resignation

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Sir Olly Robbins steps down after Keir Starmer was not informed that Lord Mandelson failed top-level security vetting required for the U.S. ambassador role

The UK security clearance failure for Mandelson has led to the resignation of Sir Olly Robbins, the Foreign Office’s most senior official, after it emerged that Prime Minister Keir Starmer was not informed that Lord Mandelson had failed the highest level of security vetting required for appointment as ambassador to the United States.

According to the BBC, Starmer and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper lost confidence in Robbins, who was effectively removed from his post. The disclosure has exposed a breakdown at the top of the British diplomatic apparatus, centered on the handling of sensitive national security procedures.

Downing Street said prior to the resignation that the prime minister had only learned last Tuesday that Mandelson had not passed the required clearance. The clarification followed reporting by The Guardian that Mandelson had failed “developed vetting,” the United Kingdom’s most stringent security screening process. The clearance is mandatory for roles involving access to Top Secret material or work with intelligence agencies and includes extensive background checks, detailed questionnaires, in-depth interviews, and scrutiny of finances, relationships, and lifestyle.

Speaking in Paris, where he is attending a security conference on the Strait of Hormuz, Starmer said he was “absolutely furious” about the failure to inform him. He described the situation as “unforgivable” and “shocking,” noting that he had addressed Parliament under the assumption that proper procedures had been followed.

“Not only was I not informed, but no minister was informed,” Starmer said, adding that he intends to appear before Parliament to “set out all the relevant facts in full transparency.” A statement to the House of Commons is expected on Monday.

Pressed on whether it was credible that a senior official could have overridden the outcome of a security vetting process to approve a political appointment, Starmer reiterated that neither he, his ministers, nor Downing Street had been told that Mandelson failed clearance. “It is totally unacceptable that the prime minister—who makes the appointment—is not informed that the security check has failed,” he said.

The Foreign Office said it is “working urgently” to establish the facts following the prime minister’s request for clarity. Emily Thornberry, the Labour MP who chairs the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, said she felt “misled” by Robbins, who had testified before her committee in November regarding the vetting process.

The political fallout intensified as Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused Starmer of breaching the ministerial code. In an interview with the BBC, she argued that the prime minister failed to correct the parliamentary record at the earliest opportunity, as required when inaccurate information has been provided. Badenoch also claimed that conflicting accounts over when Starmer learned of Mandelson’s failed clearance point to “deliberate dishonesty.”

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