Olly Robbins reaches settlement with government over sacking

The UK government has reached an out-of-court settlement with Sir Olly Robbins, the former top civil servant at the Foreign Office, following his dismissal earlier this year. Sir Olly had initiated a judicial review to challenge his sacking by then-Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

The dismissal stemmed from controversies surrounding the security vetting of Lord Mandelson for the role of UK ambassador to the United States. It was reported that Mandelson was granted clearance despite concerns raised by vetting officials. Sir Keir subsequently dismissed Sir Olly, stating he had not been properly informed that clearance was granted against official advice.

The FDA union, which represented Sir Olly, characterized the dismissal as an attempt to make him a “scapegoat” to “mask the misjudgment” of the Prime Minister. Dave Penman, the FDA general secretary, noted that the incident has damaged the essential bond of trust between civil servants and ministers. The specific financial terms of the settlement have not been disclosed.