Starmer sacks top diplomat over Mandelson problems

Mace | 17th April 2026 | Politics
Sir Olly Robbins was the FCDO's top official, but lost the confidence of the Prime Minister (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)
Sir Olly Robbins was the FCDO's top official, but lost the confidence of the Prime Minister (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

Sir Olly Robins' exit from the Foreign Office has raised questions over how much the Prime Minister knew about Mandelson's appointment, and whether he knowingly mislead parliament

Sir Olly Robbins, the most senior official in the Foreign Office, was dismissed on Thursday night as Keir Starmer scrambled to contain the fallout from revelations that Peter Mandelson failed security vetting before being appointed as UK ambassador to the United States. The dismissal came hours after it emerged that the Foreign Office had defied advice from the vetting process and handed Mandelson the Washington post regardless of issues that had been flagged. Downing Street insists that neither Starmer nor any government minister was aware that Mandelson had been granted developed vetting against the advice of UK Security Vetting until earlier this week, with Darren Jones defending the PM on the morning round on Friday. The Prime Minister has described the failure to inform him as "unforgivable", though such a defence has drawn immediate scepticism. The attack line from opposition MPs is founded on the basis that Starmer may have knowingly mislead parliament when he insisted that Mand...

Subscribe to The Mace

Join the member community shaping British politics and stay ahead of what's really happening in the world of politics and public affairs, with expert analysis, breaking news, and insider insights from Westminster and Brussels. The Mace is the leading news source and resource for the government affairs industry, offering required reading and lobby intelligence for professionals.

To see what you are missing out on by not subscribing to The Mace, click here to download our full membership info-pack. This includes having no paywall on op-ed content or profiles/interviews, allowing professional profiles to be read with maximum impact and visibility by government, special advisers, MPs, peers, civil servants, and policy and political decision-makers.



Rewiring Whitehall: Dame Antonia’s burning desire for change

Mace Magazine | November 10, 2026

At tonight's LSE lecture, Dame Antonia Romeo, Britain's top civil servant promises a revolution, arguing there is a "burning" need for reform.

The ex-Cameron outsider who ran out of road in California

William Cash | November 4, 2026

Steve Hilton, David Cameron's one-time guru, has lost his bid to become California's first Republican governor in 20 years. So where does a man of so many reinventions

Donald, the lame duck: Trump after the midterms

William Cash | November 4, 2026

Trump told America to treat the midterms as a vote on him. It did. Now comes the reckoning, writes Mace editor-in-chief William Cash from California.

Tough Love: Is cutting benefits for young people fair?

Lucy Carrier-Pilkington | November 3, 2026

It sounds like a straightforward fix: fewer young people on benefits, more in work. But is the reality so simple?

Steve Hilton’s California gamble

William Cash | November 2, 2026

A former Downing Street strategist is standing to be elected as the first Republican governor in 20 years. He's campaigning as if the polls are wrong.

UK Budget 2026: Energy Bill Relief, North Sea Oil and Gas, and the Cost of Britain’s Green Transition

Anna Bryzhko | October 29, 2026

The government has promised to ease energy bills while investing in Britain's energy future. But can it support North Sea production, expand clean power and meet climate commitments

Found the Budget boring? Burnham may be thinking of an early election

Lucy Carrier-Pilkington | October 28, 2026

After weeks of anticipation, Healey’s maiden budget looks to designed to re-assure the markets that Labour are fiscally responsible.

Is Britain’s welfare Bill out of control?

Ella Beadman | October 27, 2026

Ahead of the hotly anticipated Budget on Wednesday, Ella Beadman analyses what it could mean for welfare spending

What Can Britain Expect for Defence Spending in the Autumn Budget?

Anna Bryzhko | October 22, 2026

The government has pledged billions more for Britain's military. But can it finance those promises without squeezing other public services?

Healey’s first Budget: Economic pressures and potential tax rises

Lucy Carrier-Pilkington | October 21, 2026

With just a week until the first Budget of the Burnham government is released, Mace analyses what the Chancellor’s biggest challenges are and what taxes might be brought