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The Guardian Politics21 Apr 2026

Blame game deepens over Mandelson vetting scandal - The Latest

The Foreign Office chief sacked over the Peter Mandelson security vetting scandal has finally given his side of the story in an explosive appearance before MPs. Olly Robbins told the foreign affairs select committee that he faced ‘constant pressure’ to get Mandelson in post as US ambassador as soon as possible, and claimed Downing Street took a ‘dismissive’ attitude to vetting. It came a day after Keir Starmer accused Robbins of ‘obstructing the truth’ about the vetting process in a high-stakes

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The Guardian Politics21 Apr 2026

Rebecca Hendin on Keir Starmer coming under fire from all sides – cartoon

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The Guardian Politics21 Apr 2026

UK and EU close in on agricultural deal to reduce Brexit barriers

Lords told sales of Scottish shellfish among areas that may benefit – but agreement will not erase all paperwork Europe live – latest updates A new agriculture agreement with the EU would not wipe out all Brexit paperwork but may greatly increase sales of Scottish langoustines and oysters, the House of Lords has heard. The UK and EU are close to finalising a sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement to reduce Brexit trade barriers, and while it will have “modest” impact on the UK economy the

PoliticsEconomy
The Guardian Politics21 Apr 2026

Starmer still faces more questions than answers after Olly Robbins’s quietly damning defence | John Crace

Sacked civil servant told Commons committee there was pressure from No 10 to approve appointment of Mandelson Well, what would you do? You’re a top civil servant with more than 25 years of government service. You’ve worked for Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Theresa May. You went through Brexit hell as a lead negotiator. You were sacked by Boris Johnson and were then brought back by Keir Starmer. You land a plum job as permanent undersecretary in the Foreign Office and do your boss a

PoliticsDefence
The Guardian Politics21 Apr 2026

It’s a nightmare on Downing Street: Starmer has no one left to blame for this Mandelson horror show | Marina Hyde

Olly Robbins’s testimony will have been painful for the PM. The No 10 omnishambles was publicly laid bare – and Keir’s fresh out of scapegoats ‘How dare Olly Robbins not have made me look like a chaotic, unprincipled plonker?” is an interesting defence for a prime minister to go for. But we are where we are. Never mind “this is the future liberals want”: this is the past that Keir Starmer wants. What follows is the alternative branch of history the endlessly victimised PM apparently wishes we’d

PoliticsDefenceHousing
The Guardian Politics21 Apr 2026

Robbins’ account raises questions over whether he was misled on Mandelson vetting

Sacked Foreign Office chief tells MPs he was briefed that UKSV considered Mandelson ‘a borderline case’ UK politics live – latest updates An account of Peter Mandelson’s vetting process given by the former top civil servant Sir Olly Robbins has raised new questions about whether he was misled about the findings of the agency responsible for vetting. Robbins, who was sacked from his role of permanent secretary at the Foreign Office last week after revelations in the Guardian, gave testimony abo

PoliticsImmigration
The Guardian Politics21 Apr 2026

Robbins v Starmer: the key points they disagree on over Mandelson vetting

Sacked civil servant says it was right not to tell PM that Mandelson had failed vetting – a view Starmer rejects In the last 24 hours, the two men at the heart of the Peter Mandelson vetting scandal have given their version of events: Keir Starmer, the prime minister, and Olly Robbins, the man he sacked as the head civil servant at the Foreign Office. Robbins’ testimony to the foreign affairs select committee on Tuesday completes much of the picture as to why Mandelson was given security clearan

The Guardian Politics21 Apr 2026

Shabana Mahmood swears at hecklers over Reform UK comments

Home secretary accuses protesters of trying to ‘delegitimise’ concerns people have over immigration Shabana Mahmood has told “white liberal” hecklers to “fuck right off” after being accused at an on-stage event of copying the policies of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK. The home secretary was barracked by a man who said he wanted to “personally thank you for out-Reforming Reform” during a live interview in central London on Monday. Two other audience members shouted “refugees welcome” as the man was re

ImmigrationReform
The Guardian Politics21 Apr 2026

Man, 47, pleads not guilty to stalking and harassing Jess Phillips

Lee Owens is accused of sending threatening and obsessive emails to minister responsible for tackling violence against women A man has appeared in court accused of stalking and harassing Jess Phillips, the minister in charge of tackling violence against women and girls. Lee Owens, 47, pleaded not guilty to an offence of stalking the Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley, at Cheltenham magistrates court on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Crime
The Guardian Politics21 Apr 2026

Royal Mail invests £500m to tackle late deliveries as second-class post cut back

Courier promises to meet new delivery targets by next May after being fined last year for poor record Business live – latest updates Second-class post will be delivered every other weekday and scrapped on Saturdays from next month as part of a £500m plan to tackle late deliveries at struggling Royal Mail. The courier has been piloting a new letter delivery pattern since July, which will be rolled out nationwide in May. Continue reading...

The Guardian Politics21 Apr 2026

Foreign Office was asked to find role for senior Starmer aide, says Olly Robbins

Ex-civil servant testifying about Peter Mandelson says there was a ‘creep’ of senior diplomatic roles going to political figures UK politics live – latest updates Downing Street asked the Foreign Office to find a senior diplomatic role for Keir Starmer’s then communications chief, Matthew Doyle, the department’s former lead civil servant revealed on Tuesday. Testifying to MPs at parliament’s foreign affairs select committee, Olly Robbins said he had had several conversations with No 10 about f

Politics
The Guardian Politics21 Apr 2026

Olly Robbins says he faced ‘constant pressure’ to get Mandelson in post

Sacked Foreign Office permanent secretary says he was under pressure from Downing Street over appointment of US ambassador UK politics live – latest updates The sacked senior civil servant Oliver Robbins has said he was subject to “constant pressure” when he arrived in the Foreign Office to get Peter Mandelson in post as soon as possible. He said the Cabinet Office urged the Foreign Office to allow Mandelson’s appointment as the UK’s ambassador to the US without the usual vetting process but t

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