Fired former official says he felt political pressure to approve Mandelson as U.S. ambassador

Key Points:

• Former Foreign Office head Olly Robbins testified that he felt political pressure from Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office to approve Peter Mandelson’s appointment as British ambassador to Washington despite security concerns flagged by the vetting agency.
• Robbins described the vetting agency’s view of Mandelson as a “borderline case” and admitted he cleared Mandelson against the agency’s leaning, though he denied that pressure from Starmer’s office influenced his decision.
• Starmer has faced calls to resign over the appointment, with opposition leader Kemi Badenoch accusing him of misleading Parliament, a claim Starmer denies, though he admitted the appointment was a mistake and fired Mandelson in September 2025.
• Mandelson’s appointment sparked controversy due to his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as well as his business ties to Russia and China, raising concerns about reputational and security risks for the UK government.
• Mandelson is currently under police investigation for suspected misconduct in public office related to alleged sharing of sensitive information with Epstein, but he has denied wrongdoing and has not been charged with any offenses.