The senior Foreign Office official dismissed amid controversy over Peter Mandelson's security clearance is set to testify before Parliament on Tuesday.
Sir Olly Robbins, who was removed from his position on Thursday, will appear before the Foreign Affairs Committee to answer questions about why the former US ambassador received security clearance despite vetting concerns. This development adds pressure to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who faces his own parliamentary questioning about the affair on Monday.
Lord Simon McDonald, Sir Olly's predecessor, has publicly defended the ousted official, telling BBC Radio 4: "No 10 wanted a scalp and wanted it quickly. I cannot see that there was any process, any fairness, any giving [Sir Olly] the chance to set out his case."
Lord McDonald emphasized that confidential vetting details "would never be shared with No 10 or the prime minister," suggesting the situation was "more complicated than Number 10 wished to present."
However, multiple Whitehall sources have contradicted this account, telling BBC News that security officials explicitly recommended against granting Mandelson clearance. Documents released by the government show security officials typically use a color-coded system where red indicates the highest level of concern and recommends denial—exactly what occurred in Mandelson's case.
"That I wasn't told that he had failed security vetting when I was telling Parliament that due process had been followed is unforgivable," Prime Minister Starmer said on Friday.
The prime minister has faced intense criticism after previously telling Parliament that "due process" was followed in Mandelson's appointment, only to later claim he learned about the failed vetting this week. Downing Street took the unusual step of releasing an official account of the April 15 meeting where Starmer says he was first informed.
Dame Emily Thornberry, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, has formally requested Sir Olly's appearance, stating recent developments have "called into question" his previous testimony.
Meanwhile, it has emerged that Cabinet Secretary Antonia Romeo learned about the vetting failure in late March but needed time to investigate legal implications before informing the prime minister.
Mandelson was announced as the government's choice for US ambassador in December 2024, began vetting the same day, took up the post in February 2025, and was removed last September when additional details about his past ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein surfaced.
Sir Olly had been in his Foreign Office role for just two weeks when Mandelson's appointment was announced. Friends of Sir Olly indicate he is preparing to testify on Tuesday, though he hasn't formally accepted the invitation. They also suggest he may never have seen the full recommendation against clearance, possibly receiving only specific risk assessments.
Opposition parties have seized on the controversy, with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch declaring the prime minister has "no one left to sack" and Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey calling for an investigation into whether Starmer intentionally misled Parliament. The SNP, Green Party, and Reform UK have all demanded the prime minister's resignation.