"Sir Olly Robbins indicated that when he started at the Foreign Office, Lord Mandelson's appointment had already been finalized, which led to a dismissive approach to the vetting process."
"Robbins expressed that there was a strong expectation from Downing Street for Mandelson to be in post quickly, stating, 'There was never any interest, as far as I can recall, in whether, but only an interest in when.'"
"He acknowledged the pressure his office faced, saying, 'Whilst I think the department felt under pressure, we were proud of the fact we'd not bowed to that pressure.'"
"Robbins revealed he had not seen the UK Security Vetting documentation that contained the assessment of Lord Mandelson, raising concerns about the vetting process."
Sir Olly Robbins provided evidence regarding his role in vetting Lord Mandelson for the ambassador position in the US. He stated that Mandelson's appointment was already announced when he began at the Foreign Office. Robbins noted that there was significant pressure from Downing Street to expedite the vetting process. He emphasized that the focus was on the timing of the appointment rather than the thoroughness of the vetting. Robbins also mentioned he had not reviewed the UK Security Vetting documentation related to Mandelson's assessment.
Read at www.bbc.com
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