Starmer sacks top Foreign Office official amid Mandelson vetting crisis
Fast facts
- Category: Europe
- Language: EN
- Published: 2026-04-16 18:59 UTC
- Sources: Politico Europe
Olly Robbins, the most senior civil servant in Britain's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, was dismissed late Thursday after Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper lost confidence in him. His dismissal follows a new report detailing his role in the security vetting process for former U.S. ambassador Peter Mandelson, deepening an escalating political crisis for the government.