Ian Collard, the Foreign Office security official whose briefing contributed to the vetting row surrounding Lord Mandelson, will not appear before the Foreign Affairs Committee to give oral evidence. Committee chair Dame Emily Thornberry announced that the Foreign Office had "decided to decline" the request, and Collard will only provide a written statement.
Dame Emily expressed satisfaction with the reasons for Collard's absence, stating on X: "To be clear, I am satisfied by the reasons behind Ian Collard not giving oral evidence. If we have further questions, we will consider at that point whether we need to ask him to give evidence orally, or whether a further written statement is sufficient."
Collard was the official who briefed former Foreign Office head Sir Olly Robbins about UK Security Vetting's (UKSV) recommendation against granting clearance to Lord Mandelson for the ambassadorship to the US. Sir Olly was dismissed last week after it emerged he had granted clearance against the recommendation and failed to inform No 10.
The government maintains that UKSV provided an explicit recommendation to deny clearance, but Sir Olly told MPs this week he only received a verbal briefing describing UKSV's view as "borderline" and "leaning towards recommending that clearance be denied." A retired judge, Sir Adrian Fulford, is investigating whether Sir Olly received correct information.
Dame Emily has submitted written questions to Collard, including how often his team's recommendations differed from UKSV reports. The Foreign Office declined to comment on Collard's absence.
Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer's former chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, will testify before the committee on Tuesday. McSweeney, who advised the prime minister to appoint Mandelson, is expected to face questions about alleged pressure on civil servants to expedite the vetting process. Sir Olly accused No 10 of a "dismissive" attitude, which Downing Street denies.
The controversy has reignited questions among Labour MPs about Sir Keir's judgment. In an interview with the Sunday Times, Sir Keir said Sir Olly faced only "everyday pressure of government" and defended his swift dismissal of the official.