Cupboard Workplace urged Mandelson didn’t even want safety vetting, Robbins tells MPs
In his letter to the committee, Robbins says the Cupboard Workplace urged that Mandelson wouldn’t need to undergo safety vetting. He says:
double citation markAfter the announcement, I imagine the Cupboard Workplace (CO) raised whether or not Developed Vetting (DV) was truly essential. I perceive the FCDO insisted that DV was a requirement earlier than Mandelson took up his put up in Washington.
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Up to date at 05.50 EDT
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Robbins explains why he disagrees with Starmer’s declare he ought to have been given particulars of Mandelson’s vetting
Robbins advised the committee that he didn’t settle for Keir Starmer’s argument that he ought to have been given extra particulars of Mandelson’s safety vetting.
He stated:
double citation markI hope it’s clear from every thing I’ve stated to this point that I imagine that’s a misunderstanding and a harmful misunderstanding of the need of confidentiality of the method.
I’ve been , after all, during the last couple of days to learn Lord Hague on this at this time and David Lammy even on Saturday, the previous international secretary, deputy prime minister, the place each have stated in several language that they’ve by no means had vetting points mentioned with them in all their time as a minister and nor would they anticipate to.
I’m afraid that’s precisely the tradition I’ve been introduced up in. It’s supported by steerage. You aren’t presupposed to share the findings and stories of UKSV apart from within the distinctive circumstances the place doing so permits for the particular mitigation of threat.
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Robbins stated he was advised to not inform international secretary about No 10’s proposal to provide Matthew Doyle diplomatic put up
And right here is extra from what Robbins advised the committee in regards to the proposal for Matthew Doyle to get a diplomatic job. (See 10.29am.) Robbins stated he was advised to not focus on this with the international secretary, David Lammy.
Robbins stated there have been “a number of discussions initiated by No 10 with me about probably discovering a head of mission alternative for Matthew Doyle who was then the prime minister’s director of communications”.
He went on:
double citation markI was underneath strict instruction to not focus on that with the then international secretary, which was uncomfortable.
Robbins stated he “felt fairly uncomfortable” in regards to the proposals and saved “giving recommendation that I assumed this could be very laborious for the workplace and was laborious for me personally to defend”.
He stated:
double citation markI discovered it very laborious to assume how I’d clarify to the workplace what the credentials of Matthew have been to be in an essential head of mission function after I was in peril of creating very senior, very skilled diplomats go away the workplace.
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Robbins says Overseas Workplace needed to ‘put its foot down’ to make sure Mandleson did undergo safety vetting
Right here is extra from what Robbins advised the committee about how the Cupboard Workplace although Mandelson might take up his put up with out going by way of safety vetting. He stated:
double citation markIt was not, I’m afraid I don’t assume on the level of his appointment and for days thereafter, it was truly a provided that he can be vetted.
In case you take a look at the paperwork submitted underneath the common-or-garden handle there isn’t any stipulation from quantity 10 that he ought to be vetted.
The welcome that was despatched to him instantly afterwards doesn’t say welcome to the Overseas Workplace topic to vetting; the announcement put out on 20 December says that he can be out early within the new yr, it doesn’t say topic to vetting.
Robbins stated the contract issued to Lord Mandelson after he was vetted stated he should preserve his clearance “however nothing about his appointment truly, so far as I’ve seen in writing, stipulates it”.
Robbins went on:
double citation markThere was then a debate between Cupboard Workplace, FCDO, about ensure that he’s despatched out to put up with the suitable clearance and that took a number of days and a place taken from the Cupboard Workplace was that there was no must vet Mandelson.
He was a member of the Home of Lords, he was a privy counsellor, the dangers attending his appointment have been well-known and had been made clear to the prime minister earlier than appointment.
Ultimately, the FCDO insisted and put its foot down. I perceive my predecessor needed to be very agency in particular person however that was a reside debate on the level of announcement and I feel it’s essential to make that clear to the committee.
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Up to date at 06.08 EDT
Henry Dyer
Henry Dyer is a Guardian investigations correspondent.
Olly Robbins is artfully dodging questions from the committee about whether or not he would have modified his thoughts if he had truly seen the paperwork from United Kingdom Safety Vetting reasonably than obtain an oral briefing on them.
Robbins has made clear he was advised that UKSV thought of Peter Mandelson a “borderline” case and that they have been “leaning in direction of” recommending clearance be denied, the Overseas Workplace safety division felt the chance could possibly be managed.
MPs on the committee have been targeted on a template doc printed by Downing Road on Friday with a crimson field saying “clearance denied or withdrawn.” No 10 has briefed that this field was ticked within the UKSV kind.
Robbins has stated the UKSV kind is one used throughout Whitehall, however that UKSV recommends and the FCDO decides on questions of safety clearance, versus different departments the place UKSV makes selections. (See 10am.)
Nevertheless it was not the one crimson field ticked. So too was one famous “excessive” for “total concern”.
Based on Robbins, officers within the Overseas Workplace’s personnel safety group had debated with UKSV a few of its assessments about particular dangers. He stated that in consequence a few of these had “shifted up and down a bit” earlier than he was briefed.
It’s unclear whether or not the shifting has been documented, minuted, or famous in any approach.
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Robbins says UKSV didn’t have the facility to refuse safety vetting
Robbins advised the committee it was essential to clear up “one of the vital essential misunderstandings” about UKSV (UK Safety Vetting).
double citation markUKSV don’t deny clearance within the Overseas Workplace.
They make findings they usually make a advice.
I used to be advised that that advice was that they “leant towards” and it was a borderline case. That’s the dialog I relayed to the committee. They don’t deny clearance.
The Overseas Workplace grants or denies clearance on the idea of a massively skilled and succesful personnel safety group that responds to the truth that the Overseas Workplace is underneath extra menace than the entire of the remainder of authorities put collectively.
Robbins stated that the safety directorate on the Overseas Workplace took the ultimate decison about vetting. He stated they usually took that call themselves, however generally they handed it up the system.
double citation markOccasionally that will get escalated up the road. And on this case, as I’ve made clear, it got here to me for a way test on the finish.
Robbins stated UKSV and the Overseas Workplace’s safety directorate speak on a regular basis. He went on:
double citation markThe dialog I recollect it on 29 January was that that they had debated a few of the assessments that UK has being made about particular dangers and certainly … a few of these had shifted up and down a bit.
After which the Overseas Workplace had reached his evaluation and briefed me on it.
So I can perceive why we’re all at this time focussed on the starkness of the shape, albeit a kind I’ve by no means seen.
However the dialog has briefed to me was a dialogue between the 2 during which – clearly I’m not attempting to faux in any other case – there was unease in UKSV and the Overseas Workplace needed to work out whether or not it might handle and mitigate that unease.
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Robbins says Mandelson’s appointment ought to have been blocked after Cupboard Workplace’s ‘due diligence’ scrutiny
In response to a query from Emily Thornberry, Robbins advised the committee that he thought Peter Mandelson appointment ought to have been blocked following the due diligence scrutiny carried out by the Cupboard Workplace. That is the ‘tender vetting’ that occurred earlier than the safety vetting.
Robbins stated:
double citation markDue diligence was performed earlier than the appointment. And I feel that has been now launched within the humble handle papers.
What I’m, what I really feel unhappy about, is that the prime minister’s nominee went forward regardless of that due diligence.
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Up to date at 05.39 EDT
Robbins says No 10 wished Overseas Workplace to be clear vetting selections ‘taken completely independently of ministers’
Robbins confirmed that he didn’t inform No 10 in regards to the advice from UKSA about Mandelson.
He stated:
double citation markAnd months and months later, when within the fast aftermath of Mandelson’s sacking, we have been clearly pondering internally about how to reply to respectable questions this committee and others had about that course of.
My recollection is, in a approach, I wasn’t shocked by the route from No 10 was we should clarify that these selections have been taken completely independently of ministers and that they weren’t consulted apart from to be advised the result.
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Up to date at 05.57 EDT
Robbins tells committee he opposed proposal from No 10 for Matthew Doyle to be given ambassadorial put up
Emily Thornberry requested Robbins if he might affirm that No 10 urged that Matthew Doyle ought to be given an ambassadorial job someplace.
Doyle, who’s now a peer, was Starmer’s head of communications on the time. He was additionally near Peter Mandelson, and he was one of many No 10 individuals requested by Keir Starmer to query Mandelson about his hyperlinks with Jeffrey Epstein forward of Starmer’s resolution to nominate him.
Doyle has had the Labour whip suspended within the Lords over his personal hyperlinks with a good friend convicted of a kid intercourse offence.
Robbins stated he didn’t know the place that suggestion got here from.
He went on:
double citation markIt was critical sufficient for the No 10 personal workplace to convey up the pinnacle of the diplomatic service and ask for a ahead look of obtainable head of mission jobs. And that’s the purpose at which I assumed that I wanted to put down some markers.
He additionally stated that Mandelson was requested if there is likely to be a job out there for Doyle within the US embassy group.
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Robbins says he cannot affirm Morgan McSweeney advised Overseas Workplace about Mandelson vetting ‘simply fucking approve it’
Robbins was requested a few repor from Sam Coates at Sky Information that Morgan McSweeney, the then chief of workers to the PM, known as Philip Barton, Robbins’ predecessor as head of the Overseas Workplace, asking him to hurry up the Mandelson vetting approval. McSweeney reportedly advised Barton: “Simply fucking approve it.”
Robbins stated that when he took over there was a “robust sense that there was an environment of stress and a sure dismissiveness about this course of”.
However he stated he doesn’t recall Barton utilizing these phrases. Barton is just not the kind of one that would report language like that, he stated.
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Up to date at 06.09 EDT
Robbins rejects suggestion he was explicitly advised officers advisable refusing Mandelson’s vetting
Robbins was requested to make clear what he was saying in regards to the advice from UKSV.
Requested if he was saying he was advised that safety vetting ought to be denied, Robbins stated that he was telling the committee what he was advised at that assembly. He was advised that the choice was “borderline”, and that they have been leaning towards granting approval.
Q: So that you didn’t see a kind with the crimson field ticked?
Robbins stated he had by no means seen a kind like that till the template was printed by No 10.
He careworn that UKSV’s findings have been “suggestions and never selections” to the Overseas Workplace.
double citation markWhat my group may have performed, I’m certain, is break that down, undergo the particular points which have led UKSV to their concern after which make an evaluation as as to if they are often managed. And that’s what got here to me.
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Up to date at 05.10 EDT
Robbins was requested extra in regards to the assembly he had together with his head of safety about Mandelson. They stated they may handle the dangers related to Mandelson’s appointment. Was it there resolution, or was it in the end his resolution?
Robbins stated this was a advice to him, however he stated he wouldn’t learn an excessive amount of into that. He went on:
double citation markThey are completely skilled individuals. They care deeply about nationwide safety. They run one of many hardest safety features in authorities given the assault we’re underneath. I trusted their judgment and I backed it.
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Up to date at 05.15 EDT
Was Robbins misled about what UKSV truly concluded about Mandelson’s vetting?
Paul Lewis
Paul Lewis is the Guardian’s head of investigations.
Olly Robbins’ testimony raises the extraordinary risk that the everlasting secretary was misled about Mandelson’s UK Safety Vetting (UKSV) final result.
Robbins advised the committee he didn’t see the UKSV doc personally.
As a substitute, he stated he was given a briefing about Mandelson’s vetting file by safety officers in his division. He stated Mandelson’s case was described to him as “borderline” and that UKSV was “leaning towards” clearance being “denied”.
However stated he was additionally advised that the Overseas Workplace “would possibly want to grant” Mandelson clearance, and dangers could possibly be managed with “mitigations”.
That account is at odds with the Guardian’s understanding. The Cupboard Workplace final week launched a template of the UKSV file on Mandelson. (See 9.56am.) It lists three rankings for attainable “total concern”: low, medium and excessive. Within the subsequent field, there’s a house for a vetting officer to checklist the result of the evaluation with their “total resolution or advice”.
Once more, there are three choices: clearance accepted, clearance accepted “with threat administration” or clearance denied. Based on a number of sources, the UKSV course of in Mandelson’s case concluded there was a “excessive” total concern and concluded “clearance denied”. Within the committee listening to, Robbins stated these have been phrases he didn’t recognise.
One other committee member, John Wittingdale, particularly raised the Cupboard Workplace template doc, and stated the committee’s understanding was additionally that Mandelson acquired ticks within the two crimson packing containers. Robbins stated he didn’t recall the briefing being given to him being “that definitive”.
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Up to date at 05.13 EDT
