Sacked UK official says PM’s Office put ‘constant pressure’ to speed up Mandelson clearance
LONDON, April 21 — The former top official in Britain’s foreign ministry who was sacked over Peter Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador said on Tuesday he had come under a lot of pressure from the prime minister’s private office to resolve his security clearance quickly.
Olly Robbins told a parliamentary select committee there was a “very strong” expectation that Mandelson needed to be in post as soon as possible.
“The focus was on getting Mandelson out to Washington quickly,” he said.
“I think throughout January, honestly, my office, the foreign secretary’s office, were under constant pressure,” Robbins said.
“There was an atmosphere of constant chasing.”
