Starmer sacks diplomatic chief after Mandelson appointed without security clearance

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing strong political pressure following recent developments related to the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US.

The crisis deepened after Mandelson's links to Jeffrey Epstein came to light, and it was later revealed that he had not passed a security clearance before taking office.

In this situation, Starmer decided to sack Ollie Robbins, the Foreign Office's most senior civilian official who ran the diplomatic service. The decision came after his office failed to inform the prime minister about the security clearance problems.

According to BBC reports, Starmer and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper had lost confidence in Robbins.

Mandelson was appointed ambassador in December 2024 and took office in February 2025, but left just seven months later, after the affair became public.

Political reactions have been strong. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has called for Starmer to resign, while Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has questioned whether the prime minister has given full information to Parliament.

On the other hand, Minister Darren Jones has announced that Starmer is not considering leaving office.

There has also been criticism from conservatives, with former Foreign Secretary James Cleverly calling Robbins' dismissal an attempt to shift responsibility.

Meanwhile, British police have launched an investigation into Mandelson, after documents released by US authorities suggest he may have shared government information with Epstein in the past.

The British government is expected to publish other documents regarding this issue, while the situation remains tense and political pressure on Starmer remains high.

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