Blame is crystallising on Starmer ahead of his Commons statement on the Mandelson vetting situation. No10 is trying to blame sacked FCDO chief Olly Robbins, former senior civil servants are having none of it…
Former Cabinet Secretary Robin Butler told Times Radio this afternoon:
“The vetting process is highly confidential because it goes into all sorts of personal matter. If he had told the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary of the adverse security advice, they would have had to consider revoking the appointments on the grounds that it was a security risk… The problem was that the decision to appoint Peter Mandelson and the announcement and the clearance with the King had all taken place in advance of the vetting before knowing what the vetting procedure would throw out.”
Starmer was advised to vet first before announcing a political appointment…
Former FCDO longtimer and friend of Robbins Tom Fletcher said this morning: “This is a guy who has public service and integrity stitched into his DNA in a way I haven’t seen with any other single individual and I’ve worked with so many people inside government” and added he “had an utterly rough few days… he’s a pretty strong kind of character but I think he’s heartbroken.” Some regret over Robbins’ sacking may be building up in No10…
Another former Cabinet Secretary Gus O’Donnell said Starmer “now faces one of the worst crises in relations between ministers and mandarins of modern times. The dismissal of Sir Olly risks having a serious and sustained chilling effect on serving and prospective civil servants.” Former Deputy CabSec Helen MacNamara: “I have known Robbins for years and I certainly would not have chosen to fight him on his home territory of the operation of the constitution, national security, integrity and the appropriate role of the civil service and ministers.”
Gone are the days when Starmer could simply write a nice letter to Whitehall’s civil servants after slagging them off in public. Starmer presiding over the slow-moving collapse of the relations that govern the British state…
Douglas Alexander – a friend of Starmer’s – was asked on Sky News if the PM will be in post at the next election. He wasn’t so sure himself:
“I think he will. There are no certainties but of course I think he will lead and I think he should because, frankly, on the biggest call in this parliament he’s exercised the right judgment, which is to keep us out of someone else’s war.”