Fired former official says he felt political pressure to approve Mandelson as U.S. ambassador

The ex-civil servant behind the decision to approve Peter Mandelson ‘s appointment as British ambassador to Washington says he felt political pressure from Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office to rush through the appointment despite security concerns.

LONDON — The ex-civil servant behind the decision to approve Peter Mandelson ‘s appointment as British ambassador to Washington says he felt political pressure from Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office to rush through the appointment despite security concerns.

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The testimony by former Foreign Office head Olly Robbins turns up the heat on Starmer, who is facing calls to resign over the appointment of a scandal-tainted former politician and friend of Jeffrey Epstein to one of the U.K.’s most important diplomatic posts.

The prime minister fired Robbins last week after the revelation that Mandelson was approved for the job against the recommendation of the government’s security vetting agency.