Robbins’ account raises questions over whether he was misled on Mandelson vetting
Summary
Sir Olly Robbins, a former senior UK civil servant, gave evidence about Peter Mandelson’s security vetting process. Robbins said he was told UK Security Vetting (UKSV) considered Mandelson a risky case and leaned toward denying clearance, but Robbins granted clearance without seeing the full vetting file, which was kept highly confidential.Key Facts
- Sir Olly Robbins was recently dismissed as permanent secretary at the UK Foreign Office.
- Robbins testified that he never saw UKSV’s full vetting file on Peter Mandelson.
- He said UKSV described Mandelson’s case as “borderline” and leaned toward denying security clearance.
- Robbins was briefed orally by Foreign Office security officials about the risks the day after UKSV’s recommendation.
- MPs reviewed parts of the UKSV vetting file, which showed high concern and recommended denial of clearance.
- The vetting file used color codes: green for low, yellow for medium, and red for high concern.
- Robbins said he needed a strong national security reason to view the vetting file but did not pursue this.
- Robbins acknowledged that UKSV and the Foreign Office had ongoing discussions about Mandelson’s vetting status.
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