Politics
Mandelson Scandal: Diplomatic Service's Biggest Crisis in Decades, Says Ex-Foreign Office Chief
April 18, 2026
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The Peter Mandelson security vetting scandal is the biggest crisis for the UK diplomatic service in decades, according to a former Foreign Office chief. He says civil servant Olly Robbins was 'thrown under a bus' by the prime minister and the decision feels 'wrong'.
Diplomatic Service Faces Biggest Crisis in Decades Amid Mandelson Scandal, Says Former Foreign Office Chief
The Peter Mandelson security vetting scandal has become the biggest crisis for the UK's diplomatic service in decades, according to Sir Simon McDonald, the former permanent under-secretary of the Foreign Office who served until 2020.
In a strong defense of Sir Oliver Robbins, the civil servant who was dismissed from his role on Thursday, Sir Simon said Robbins was
