Olly Robbins gets six-figure payout over Mandelson vetting sacking
The former Foreign Office head settles his high court claim against Keir Starmer's decision to dismiss him in April over the vetting of Peter Mandelson.
At a glance
- Olly Robbins, sacked as Foreign Office head in April, has received a six-figure government payout over his dismissal.
- He had sought a high court judicial review of Keir Starmer's decision, taken after the vetting of Peter Mandelson.
- The FDA union says the affair damaged trust between civil servants and ministers and wants clarity on vetting.
Olly Robbins, the former head of the Foreign Office who was sacked by Keir Starmer over his role in vetting Peter Mandelson, has received a six-figure payout from the government over his dismissal.
Robbins had applied to the high court for a judicial review of the prime minister's decision to remove him as the top civil servant at the Foreign Office. He was dismissed from the post in April, and the settlement was announced on Friday.
He was removed after the Guardian disclosed that he had overturned a recommendation from UK Security Vetting (UKSV) to deny clearance for Mandelson.
Settlement and reaction
In a statement, Robbins said he was "grateful for all the support and good wishes from former colleagues, friends and strangers, which have helped me and my family during this difficult time".
He added that he wanted to thank the FDA union for its help "in reaching this settlement" and that he was "looking forward to moving on to the next chapter of my life".
Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA, which represents senior civil servants, said the settlement may end the judicial review proceedings, but that "this whole unprecedented affair has damaged the bond of trust between civil servants and ministers, which is essential to the effective running of government".
He described the "scapegoating of Sir Oliver" as one of the lowest points in recent civil service-ministerial relations and urged the government to clarify quickly the issues the affair raised about ministerial involvement in the vetting process.
The payout
The government will ultimately have to publish the amount it has given Robbins. The figure is believed to be in six figures, but below the record £860,000 paid to former cabinet secretary Chris Wormald after he was forced out by Starmer after just a year in post.
Why he was dismissed
At the time of the dismissal, Downing Street said Robbins had lost the confidence of Starmer and of Yvette Cooper, who was then foreign secretary, over his handling of Mandelson's vetting. Mandelson was sacked over the extent of his links to the convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The Guardian later revealed that Mandelson's associations with senior figures in China, Russia and Israel were among the concerns raised by UKSV when it concluded he should be denied clearance. His relationship with Epstein was not among the reasons given.
Robbins' legal submission argued that Starmer had no statutory authority to dismiss him as head of the diplomatic service, that there had been "no fair procedure" and "no process at all", and that he had been given "irrational" reasons for being fired.
Questions remain
There had been strong support for Robbins within Whitehall, with senior civil servants said to believe he had in effect been sacked for doing what No 10 wanted by swiftly passing Mandelson through vetting.
The Commons foreign affairs select committee has previously said Robbins believed he was "delivering the outcome that was wanted", and concluded that his dismissal "seems to have been taken without full due process and the establishment of the facts".
Questions remain about the defence Robbins mounted of his own actions and of the vetting system, and about the lack of measures put in place to address the security concerns. The Foreign Office refused to hand over a summary of Mandelson's security vetting to the official compiling documents on his appointment as ambassador to the US, in response to a Commons motion forcing the release of papers linked to the process.
Source: The Guardian.
Questions and answers
- Who is Olly Robbins and why was he sacked?
- Robbins was the top civil servant at the Foreign Office, dismissed by Keir Starmer in April after the Guardian disclosed he had overturned a UK Security Vetting recommendation to deny Peter Mandelson clearance.
- How much did Olly Robbins receive in his settlement?
- The exact figure has not been published. It is believed to be six figures but less than the record £860,000 paid to former cabinet secretary Chris Wormald, and the government must eventually publish the amount.
- Why was Peter Mandelson denied security clearance?
- UK Security Vetting concluded he should be denied clearance, with concerns including his associations with senior figures in China, Russia and Israel. His relationship with Jeffrey Epstein was not among the reasons.
