Sir Olly Robbins, the former top civil servant at the Foreign Office, has reached an out-of-court settlement with the government following his dismissal in April 2025. The settlement amount has not been disclosed.
Robbins was sacked by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer after Lord Mandelson, appointed as UK ambassador to the US, was granted security clearance despite concerns raised by vetting officials. Mandelson was later removed from the role after information emerged about his previous friendship with deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
According to the BBC's source material, Robbins requested a judicial review over his dismissal. The FDA union, which represented him, said he had been made a "scapegoat" to "mask the misjudgement" of Starmer. A government spokesperson confirmed the settlement without providing further detail on the dismissal, stating only that Robbins "had a distinguished public service career over three decades."
Starmer told MPs in April that he rejected Robbins' explanation for why clearance was granted and dismissed him as a result. Robbins subsequently defended his role, saying government vetting processes "must remain absolutely confidential." He told MPs he had not reviewed written vetting documentation from UK Security Vetting but instead received an oral briefing stating Mandelson was a "borderline case" that could be cleared with "appropriate risk management."
Dave Penman, head of the FDA union, called the settlement outcome insufficient, stating the affair had "damaged the bond of trust between civil servants and ministers." He described Robbins' treatment as "one of the lowest points in the recent history of civil service-ministerial relations."
Robbins said he was "grateful for all the support" during the process and thanked the FDA for assistance in reaching settlement. He said he looked forward to "moving on to the next chapter of my life." Robbins previously served as the government's lead official during Brexit negotiations with the EU.