Foreign Office Opts for Written Testimony from Civil Servant on Mandelson Vetting After Committee Request

The UK Foreign Office declined a request from the Foreign Affairs Committee for Ian Collard, a civil servant who ran the security team within the department, to attend and give evidence next week. BBC News reported that the committee's chair, Dame Emily Thornberry, stated the department made the decision to decline the request. Collard will give evidence in writing instead.

Dame Emily Thornberry sent a letter to the interim Foreign Office boss setting out questions for Ian Collard to answer in writing. One question in the letter asked how often Ian Collard's team made a different recommendation on vetting to that contained in the UKSV report. Thornberry, as chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, highlighted the need for clarity on these processes.

Ian Collard briefed Sir Olly Robbins about UK Security and Vetting's recommendation not to give clearance to Lord Mandelson. UKSV gave an explicit recommendation to the Foreign Office not to approve vetting for Lord Mandelson ahead of his confirmation as ambassador to the US. Despite this, Sir Olly Robbins granted clearance to Lord Mandelson against the UKSV recommendation.

Sir Olly Robbins did not inform No 10 about the decision to grant clearance to Lord Mandelson. Robbins stated he had never seen the explicit UKSV recommendation. He added that he only received a verbal briefing describing UKSV's view as 'borderline' and 'leaning towards recommending that clearance be denied'.

Sir Olly Robbins spoke to MPs on Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee this week. The government is investigating whether Sir Olly Robbins was given the correct information before he approved security clearance for Lord Mandelson. Sir Adrian Fulford, a retired judge, is conducting a review into the vetting process for Lord Mandelson.

Sir Adrian Fulford's review will look at whether the briefing given by Ian Collard correctly summed up the vetting team's view. Sir Keir Starmer sacked Sir Olly Robbins last week. Robbins was sacked after it emerged that he had granted clearance against the recommendation and had not informed No 10.

Morgan McSweeney will give evidence to the Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday. McSweeney advised Sir Keir Starmer to appoint Lord Mandelson as the UK's ambassador to the US. The sequence of events underscores ongoing scrutiny of the vetting decisions leading to Mandelson's appointment.