Robbins Settles With the Government Over His Sacking
Sir Olly Robbins, dismissed as head of the Foreign Office in April over the vetting of Lord Mandelson, has reached an out-of-court settlement, ending his judicial review. The sum has not been published but is believed to exceed six figures. His union, the FDA, said he had been made a scapegoat “to mask the misjudgement of the previous prime minister”.
Sir Keir Starmer told MPs in April: “I did ask him, and I did not accept his explanation. That is why I sacked him.” Sir Olly’s legal case argued there was “no fair procedure” and that a prime minister had no statutory power to remove the head of the diplomatic service, and the foreign affairs committee found the dismissal appeared to lack “full due process”. The government will eventually have to disclose the figure, which is thought to be less than the £860,000 paid to Chris Wormald. Dave Penman of the FDA wants ministers to clarify “ministerial involvement in the vetting process”.