Top civil servant sacked by Starmer over Mandelson vetting in talks to work for Burnham
A former top civil servant dramatically sacked by Keir Starmer earlier this year amid a furious row over Peter Mandelson’s failed security vetting is in talks to work for Andy Burnham.
Sir Olly Robbins, who was the most senior mandarin at the Foreign Office, is having discussions about a possible security-related role if new Labour MP Mr Burnham becomes prime minister, The Independent understands.
The move could mark a triumphant return for one of the most high-profile casualties of the Mandelson scandal, which engulfed Sir Keir’s government earlier this year.
Talks between Sir Olly and Team Burnham are understood to be at an early stage, but he has a long pedigree and is highly respected by many within government.
The next PM could also have to fill a vacancy soon, with the current national security adviser Jonathan Powell long rumoured to be planning to leave the role.
Sir Olly previously served as deputy national security adviser and later as the government’s chief Brexit negotiator, giving him the heavyweight background required for the role.
He would also be the second senior figure with extensive Whitehall experience to be hired by Team Burnham, after it emerged ex-cabinet minister James Purnell would act as his chief of staff, as the likely new PM attempts to hit the ground running.
Sir Olly was dismissed by the PM and accused of failing to tell him Lord Mandelson, who was later fired over his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, had not passed vetting for the role of ambassador to the US.
But allies of Sir Olly say he was fired without even being asked to explain his handling of the saga, The Independent revealed in April.
Asked in the House of Commons whether he had sought an explanation from Sir Olly, Sir Keir told MPs: “I did ask him, and I did not accept his explanation. That is why I sacked him.”
But friends of the former permanent under secretary hit back, telling The Independent that “no question was asked”.
Sir Keir has also faced questions over how he failed to know about the Labour grandee’s failed vetting – months after the story appeared on The Independent’s front page.
This publication contacted Sir Keir’s then director of communications, Tim Allan, about the failure on 11 September and later that same day ran the story.
The prime minister later told MPs that he and his ministers only found out that UK security vetting had advised Lord Mandelson should be denied clearance in April.
Mr Burnham is expected to become the Labour leader and PM on 17 July, according to newly published details of the timetable to replace Sir Keir, if no rival candidate enters the race.
If they do, the new PM will not be named until just before Parliament re-opens at the start of September.
Before then, local Labour branches will have a chance to make nominations between 20 and 31 July, with Labour members balloted between 6 and 27 August. The result would be announced on 29 August.