McFadden declines to say he thinks sacking Robbins was fair
In an interview with Times Radio, Pat McFadden repeatedly declined to state whether he believed the dismissal of Olly Robbins was justified.
When questioned by Kate McCann, McFadden responded:
I do know Olly Robbins. And as I said, I think very highly of him. I think if the prime minister has made the judgment that he’s not got confidence in the head of the Foreign Office, then it’s difficult to continue.
That is not to say that Olly Robbins is not an extremely distinguished civil servant. I think what this really came down to was a disagreement on judgment.
Olly Robbins made the judgment that he didn’t have to information with the prime minister. The prime minister takes a very different view. He thought that information should be shared. And it’s on the basis of that disagreement that the prime minister took his decision.
When pressed further, McFadden stated:
It’s the prime minister’s judgment.When McCann suggested he was avoiding saying if the sacking was fair, McFadden replied:
Of course as a cabinet member, I support the prime minister’s decisions.
McFadden also revealed that until the previous day he was unaware that No 10 had considered appointing Matthew Doyle, the prime minister’s communications secretary at the time, to an ambassadorial role. He commented:
I don’t think that would have been the right thing to do.
McFadden’s interview is viewed as further indication that cabinet ministers loyal to Keir Starmer, particularly those within his inner circle, are beginning to distance themselves from the prime minister. The day prior, Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, expressed disapproval of appointing Mandelson as an ambassador, and Yvette Cooper, the foreign secretary, criticized the Doyle proposal, which was ultimately not pursued. The Daily Mail highlighted these comments.
In a interview, while not fully endorsing the appointment of Mandelson as ambassador to the US, McFadden acknowledged he could
see the rationalefor it.
When asked if he was concerned upon hearing of the appointment, he said:
No, because I could see the rationale for it … This was an unusual appointment, a political appointment, in fact they happen on occasion, not very often.
But I could see the rationale for this appointment because you were dealing with a very new kind of US administration, trade was going to be at the heart of our relationship with this administration.
So, having a political appointment and someone with trade experience, I could see why such an appointment was made.
And to be honest, so could many other people at the time of the announcement. This was not greeted with horror.
Pat McFadden urges Labour MPs to let Starmer 'do job he was elected to do'
Pat McFadden, the work and pensions secretary, is among the ministers deployed by No 10 to defend Keir Starmer during challenging media appearances. Today, he participated in the morning interview circuit.
In his interviews, McFadden rejected the notion that Labour MPs are in a mutinous mood. When asked if he had a message for colleagues seeking Starmer’s replacement, he stated:
My message to them is the prime minister has acknowledged this appointment was a mistake, whatever the rationale was for it. And to be a prime minister is to be a decision-making machine. And they won’t all be right.
But that doesn’t mean you ditch the leader. It doesn’t mean you change prime minister. I think we’ve had too much of that in the UK in recent years.
I think we need a period of keeping a prime minister for a period of time to let him do the job he was elected to do. This is a difficult story, it’s a difficult week.
Ex-Foreign Office chief Simon McDonald joins ex cabinet secretary Mark Sedwill in saying Robbins should get job back
Simon McDonald, who served as permanent secretary at the Foreign Office prior to Olly Robbins, has joined Mark Sedwill and others advocating for Robbins’ reinstatement.
In an article for , McDonald wrote:
Robbins did his job, aware of the pressure from across Downing Street but not buckling to it. And yet misunderstanding about what that job required led the prime minister to rush to a wrong judgment. I cannot believe that, had he waited until after the foreign affairs select committee session, the PM would have sacked Robbins.
The world is an uncertain place. The Foreign Office and its professional head are dealing with simultaneous crises in Ukraine, the Middle East and the transatlantic relationship. Britain cannot afford a gap at the top, nor can it afford to lose the services of a first-class civil servant whose diligence and thoughtfulness were on full display yesterday in Portcullis House. There is one immediate conclusion in my view: the government should reinstate Robbins as permanent undersecretary.
McDonald’s full argument is available in his article.
Starmer to face MPs for first time since Olly Robbins’ Mandelson evidence
Keir Starmer is set to face Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) today amid ongoing controversy surrounding the vetting process and Robbins’ evidence, which continues to dominate Westminster discussions. Observers familiar with Labour MPs’ views suggest increasing pressure on Starmer’s leadership.
Ideally, the fate of prime ministers would hinge on major policy issues rather than scandals or personality disputes. However, in the current era of pervasive social media, even seemingly minor controversies can significantly impact political standing. The Mandelson appointment controversy is linked to broader government challenges.
Starmer’s position deteriorated following Olly Robbins’ testimony to MPs. According to reporting by Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey:
Labour MPs have been appalled by the recurring reminder that Starmer personally decided to appoint someone with Mandelson’s reputation to the UK’s most sensitive diplomatic post, and warned that his leadership is now on borrowed time.
Last week, the Conservative leader attempted to accuse Starmer of lying to parliament but was unsuccessful, as evidence indicates Starmer did not lie. In his statement to MPs on Monday, Starmer framed the issue as a procedural matter. However, attention remains focused on whether sacking Robbins was appropriate, with many observers believing Robbins should have retained his position.
Mark Sedwill, cabinet secretary from 2018 to 2020, expressed support for Robbins in the Times, noting the
calm integrity and intelligence which have characterised [Robbins’] distinguished career of public service. Sedwill advocated for Robbins’ reinstatement.
Sedwill criticized the prime minister’s actions:
The prime minister appointed Peter Mandelson against official advice, announced that appointment without security vetting having been completed and claims that he would have changed his mind had he been told that the vetting process had raised the concerns about Mandelson’s previous conduct of which he was already well aware.
Robbins explained that his decision was not about informing the prime minister of known issues but about assessing whether those concerns could be mitigated sufficiently to grant Mandelson access to necessary secret intelligence. He made a professional judgment that they could. Although this proved unwise, Robbins accepted responsibility rather than deflecting it.
Sedwill urged:
The prime minister should retract his accusations against Olly Robbins and reinstate him to the job the country needs him to do of getting the diplomatic service into shape for the second quarter of the 21st century.
This topic is expected to arise again during PMQs. The reactions of Labour MPs may be as telling as the statements made.
Agenda for the day includes:
- Noon: Starmer faces Kemi Badenoch at PMQs.
- 2.15pm: Hilary Benn, Northern Ireland secretary, provides evidence to the joint committee on human rights regarding the Troubles bill.
- Afternoon: MPs debate Lords amendments to the children’s wellbeing and schools bill. The government is accepting a Tory proposal to make a ban on smartphones in schools statutory but rejecting a social media ban for under-16s proposed by Tory peers.
- 5pm: Nigel Farage, Reform UK leader, speaks at a rally in Barnsley.
Readers wishing to contact the author can post comments below the line during open hours (10am to 3pm) or reach out via social media. The author monitors messages containing the word "Andrew" for better visibility. For urgent matters, social media is preferred. The author’s Bluesky handle is @andrewsparrowgdn.bsky.social, and on Twitter @AndrewSparrow. also maintains a presence on Bluesky, but individual journalists manage their accounts.
The author appreciates readers pointing out errors, even minor typos, and finds questions interesting. While not all can be answered, many will be addressed either below the line or in the blog.
