Ex-top official Robbins reaches settlement with government over sacking
Sir Olly Robbins was sacked as the top civil servant in the Foreign Office over the vetting of Lord Mandelson.
By BBC News
Sir Olly Robbins has reached an out-of-court settlement with the Government after being dismissed as the Foreign Office’s most senior civil servant.
The settlement followed his challenge over the circumstances of his removal, which was linked to the approval of Lord Peter Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador to the United States.
Sir Olly was dismissed in April after concerns emerged about the security vetting process for Lord Mandelson’s appointment. Reports said vetting officials had raised concerns, but clearance was granted.
The former permanent secretary later sought a judicial review of his dismissal. He argued that the reasons given for removing him were irrational and questioned whether the Prime Minister had the legal authority to dismiss the head of the diplomatic service.
Sir Olly had told MPs that he had not reviewed documents from the internal vetting body containing its assessment of Lord Mandelson. He said he had instead received an oral briefing describing the peer as a “borderline case”, with clearance considered possible if appropriate risk management was put in place.
Sir Keir Starmer said he dismissed Sir Olly because he was not satisfied with the explanation given for how the clearance was granted. Sir Olly defended his role and said national security vetting procedures needed to remain confidential.
The FDA union, which represented Sir Olly in the legal challenge, said the Government had agreed to settle the case to address the circumstances surrounding his departure from the civil service.
The amount involved in the settlement has not been disclosed.