World Apr 21, 2026 · 1 min read

Olly Robbins says he faced ‘constant pressure’ to get Mandelson in post

Sacked Foreign Office permanent secretary says he was under pressure from Downing Street over appointment of US ambassadorUK politics live – latest updatesThe sacked senior civil servant Oliver Robbins has said he was subject to “constant pressure” when he arrived in the Foreign Office to get Peter...

TH
The Guardian
by Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey
Olly Robbins says he faced ‘constant pressure’ to get Mandelson in post

Sacked Foreign Office permanent secretary says he was under pressure from Downing Street over appointment of US ambassador

The sacked senior civil servant Oliver Robbins has said he was subject to “constant pressure” when he arrived in the Foreign Office to get Peter Mandelson in post as soon as possible.

He said the Cabinet Office urged the Foreign Office to allow Mandelson’s appointment as the UK’s ambassador to the US without the usual vetting process but the Foreign Office pushed back and the vetting eventually went ahead.

Continue reading...
TH
Source

This article was originally published by The Guardian and written by Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey.

Read original article on The Guardian
Back to Discover

Reading List