"Olly Robbins, a Sir, had been permanent secretary at the Foreign Office until recently when Keir had sacked him for failing to mention that UK Security Vetting had given Mandy two red lights and recommended not sending him to Washington."
"Robbins came across as a bit dim, governed by the civil service manual and unable to think for himself, failing to inform the prime minister about Mandelson's security vetting issues."
"Cat Little, the Cabinet Office official in charge of finding and releasing evidence to parliament, appeared later in the week and was also a total slave to process, unable to confirm or deny anything without a record."
Senior civil servants typically avoid public scrutiny, focusing on internal processes. Recent testimonies from Olly Robbins and Cat Little revealed their discomfort with accountability. Robbins, sacked for not disclosing critical security vetting information about Peter Mandelson, appeared overly reliant on bureaucratic rules. Little, responsible for evidence release to parliament, also demonstrated a strict adherence to process, lacking the ability to provide straightforward answers. Their testimonies highlighted a broader issue of civil servants being unprepared for public engagement and decision-making outside established protocols.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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