Issued on: 21/04/2026 - 18:14

A former senior British Foreign Office official says he was under “constant pressure” from the Prime Minister’s office to speed up Peter Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to the US, escalating a political row that is now threatening Keir Starmer’s leadership. Olly Robbins, the department’s most senior official until his dismissal last week, told a parliamentary committee that Number 10 showed a “dismissive attitude” toward security vetting for the appointment. It follows reports that independent officials recommended denying Mandelson clearance due to his past links to Jeffrey Epstein, prompting renewed calls for Starmer to resign after he insisted due process had been followed.

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