All posts tagged: Foreign Office

Starmer knew risks of ‘toxic, hot potato’ Epstein to Mandelson, says ex-mandarin

Published by Sam Flores

Sir Philip Barton said there was no substance to allegations the Prime Minister’s former chief of staff Morgan McSweeney had sworn at him. Source link

Foreign Office official will not answer Mandelson vetting questions in person

Published by Sam Flores

– Whether he had seen the cover form for Lord Mandelson’s vetting by UK Security Vetting (UKSV), the agency responsible for checks on candidates for sensitive posts, in which it had ticked two red boxes – meaning they had “high concern” and recommended “clearance denied or withdrawn”. Source link

Starmer should resign for ‘shameful role’ in appointment of Mandelson – Flynn

Published by Sam Flores

The SNP Westminster leader is calling on Scots to vote SNP at the Holyrood elections to ‘sack Keir Starmer’. Source link

Starmer defies calls to resign as he sacks Foreign Office chief after Mandelson vetting scandal explodes

Published by Sam Flores

He told LBC: “None of this adds up, the idea they weren’t told about the vetting. Remember, in the House of Commons, Starmer actually said that the vetting had told him about the ongoing relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, then outside of the House, in Hastings, he gave a speech in which he said that Mandelson had cleared security vetting. Source link

Starmer sacks Foreign Office chief ‘to save himself’

Published by Sam Flores

Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of sacking the top civil servant in the Foreign Office to save his own position. The Prime Minister fired Sir Olly Robbins, the Foreign Office permanent under-secretary, over the Mandelson vetting fiasco on Thursday night after he and Yvette Cooper, the Foreign Secretary, withdrew their confidence in him. Sir Olly’s departure came hours after news broke that Lord Mandelson had failed the enhanced vetting process for his appointment as ambassador to the US, but was given the post anyway after civil servants dismissed the findings. Sir Keir is now facing calls to resign from all three of Britain’s main opposition leaders, who have accused him of dismissing Sir Olly to prolong his own political survival. Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, said: “[The Government is] all over the place on this – it is totally unbelievable and Robbins, he’s the sacrificial lamb in an attempt to try and save the Prime Minister, and it just isn’t good enough.” Kemi Badenoch, the head of the Tories, said: “Keir Starmer …

Foreign Office summons Iran’s ambassador to UK over country’s ‘reckless actions’ | Politics | News

Published by Sam Flores

Iran’s ambassador to the UK has been summoned by the Foreign Office over his country’s “reckless and destabilising actions” in Britain and overseas. Seyed Ali Mousavi was called into the Foreign Office after an Iranian and a British-Iranian dual national were accused of carrying out hostile surveillance on London’s Jewish community. The Foreign Office said the UK takes the threat posed by Iran and its proxies “extremely seriously”. The diplomat was summoned on the instruction of Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and was met by Middle East minister Hamish Falconer. A Foreign Office spokesman said: “The summons follows the recent charging of two individuals, one Iranian national and one British-Iranian dual national, under the National Security Act, on suspicion of providing assistance to a foreign intelligence service. “National security remains our top priority, and we take threats posed by Iran and those who do its bidding extremely seriously. “This government will take all measures necessary to protect the British people, including exposing Iran’s reckless and destabilising actions at home and abroad.” Nematollah Shahsavani, 40, and Alireza …