Former top official Robbins takes legal action over sacking

Image source, AFP via Getty Images Image caption, Olly Robbins, pictured here in 2019, was previously the UK's Brexit negotiator By Paul Seddon Political reporter Published 56 minutes ago The top civil servant at the Foreign Office sacked by Sir Keir Starmer over Lord Mandelson's vetting to be US ambassador is taking legal action over his dismissal. Sir Olly Robbins was fired earlier this year, after it emerged the peer had been granted security clearance for the role despite concerns raised by vetting officials. Sir Olly is now seeking a judicial review of the decision to dismiss him, according to the FDA, the union for senior civil servants representing him in the action. The union said the sacking had taken place without "even the semblance of a fair process" and risked damaging the civil service. A government spokesperson said: "We do not comment on legal proceedings." Lord Mandelson was announced as the UK's ambassador to the US in December 2024, before in-depth vetting had been carried out, and formally took up the role in February 2025 after being granted security clearance. Just seven months later, he was sacked after further information emerged about his previous friendship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Sir Olly was sacked in April this year, in the wake of a Guardian story that revealed the peer's security clearance had been granted despite vetting officials raising concerns, with the prime minister later saying he was "furious" he had not been informed at the time. Sir Keir has previously said he sacked Sir Olly after not accepting his explanation for why clearance was granted, telling MPs in April: "I did ask him, and I did not accept his explanation. That is why I sacked him." Starmer sacks top Foreign Office official after Mandelson vetting revelations Published 17 April Key evidence from sacked official at heart of Mandelson vetting row Published 21 April Sir Olly has since defended his role in the process, saying that the government's vetting processes must "remain absolutely confidential". He previously told MPs that he had not seen the documentation from UK Security Vetting (UKSV), the government's in-house vetting unit, containing their vetting assessment of Lord Mandelson. He said that instead, he was given an oral briefing, during which he was told the vetting agency considered Mandelson to be a "borderline case", but that the Foreign Office may wish to grant clearance with "appropriate risk management". Announcing Sir Olly's decision to take legal action, the FDA said in a statement that the decision to sack him from the Foreign Office had been based on a "grievous misunderstanding" of government vetting procedures. "Rather than being under a duty to tell ministers about the process leading up to the vetting decision, Olly was under an obligation not to," it added. "Not only was there no fair procedure involved in his dismissal, there was no process at all." The union also said it would seek to argue