STARMER UNDER FIRE AS SACKED ENVOY CLAIMS ‘CONSTANT PRESSURE’ OVER MANDELSON

​LONDON — Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s leadership faced its most precarious moment on Tuesday as the former head of the Foreign Office, Sir Olly Robbins, claimed he was subjected to “constant pressure” from Downing Street to bypass security concerns and fast-track the appointment of Peter Mandelson as U.S. Ambassador.

​Appearing before a Parliamentary committee days after being sacked, Robbins described a “bunker mentality” within Number 10, alleging that Starmer’s office treated the controversial appointment as a “done deal” long before vetting was complete. The testimony directly contradicts the Prime Minister’s assertion that he was kept in the dark by “unforgivable” failures within the civil service.

​A ‘Scapegoat’ Speaks Out

Robbins, who was dismissed last week after it emerged that Mandelson had failed a high-level “developed vetting” check, told MPs he felt like a “scapegoat.” He described an atmosphere of “constant chasing” and frequent phone calls from Starmer’s private office throughout January 2025, demanding Mandelson be in Washington “as quickly as humanly possible.”

​The scandal centers on Mandelson’s historic ties to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. While Starmer recently admitted the appointment was a “wrong” judgment call, he has spent the week blaming officials for not alerting him to a security unit’s recommendation against the move.

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​However, Robbins testified that the pressure to clear Mandelson was so immense that the usual safeguards were viewed as obstacles. He further alleged that the Prime Minister’s office had also pushed for a senior diplomatic role for Matthew Doyle—Starmer’s former communications chief who recently lost the Labour whip over his own links to a convicted sex offender.

​Political Danger Mounts

The revelations have reignited calls for Starmer’s resignation. While senior Labour lawmakers suggested there is no immediate move to oust the Prime Minister before the May 7 local elections, the mood in Westminster is darkening.

​”To appoint one supporter of a sex offender might be a mistake; to attempt it twice shows a catastrophic lack of judgment,” said Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey.

​Downing Street rejected Robbins’ account on Tuesday, insisting there is a “distinction between pressure and being kept informed.” Yet, with senior ministers beginning to distance themselves from the fallout, the “war of words” between the government and its own civil service shows no sign of abating.