A former top foreign ministry official said on Tuesday he faced “constant pressure” from Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office to accelerate the appointment of Peter Mandelson as its preferred candidate as ambassador to the U.S.
Olly Robbins, who was dismissed last week after ministers said they had lost confidence in him, told a parliamentary committee the process had been treated as a “done deal.”
“I walked into a situation in which there was already a very, very strong expectation ... that he needed to be in post and in America as quickly as humanly possible,” Robbins said.
“I think throughout January (2025), honestly, my office, the foreign secretary's office, were under constant pressure,” he added, describing “frequent phone calls” and an “atmosphere of constant chasing.”
Downing Street rejected the claims, saying there was a difference between pressure and keeping updated on progress.
The dispute centres on the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the U.S., despite concerns linked to his past associations, including ties to the late U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Starmer has admitted he was “wrong” to approve the appointment and expressed regret, but has blamed officials for failing to inform him that security vetting advisers had raised concerns.
Robbins said the vetting body viewed the case as borderline and leaned against granting clearance — a warning Starmer says he never received.
The controversy has sparked calls for Starmer’s resignation, although Labour lawmakers do not expect an immediate leadership challenge ahead of elections on May 7.
Further criticism emerged after Robbins revealed Downing Street had also pushed for a diplomatic role for Matthew Doyle, prompting concern within the party.
Robbins warned that blocking Mandelson’s appointment at a late stage could have damaged relations with the U.S., as approval had already been secured from King Charles and the U.S. government.
The escalating war of words risks prolonging a political crisis that continues to test Starmer’s leadership.
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