Taxpayers foot another bill as government settles with 'scapegoat' Sir Olly Robbins over Mandelson vetting sacking

Sir Olly Robbins, Britain's former Brexit negotiator who was fired as the Foreign Office's most senior civil servant in April, has received a six-figure payout after the government settled out of court rather than face a judicial review of his dismissal. Starmer sacked him after it emerged Robbins had overruled a recommendation to deny Peter Mandelson security clearance for the US ambassador role. His union, the FDA, called the settlement a rectification of "circumstances surrounding his departure" and said Robbins was made a scapegoat to "mask the misjudgement of the previous prime minister."

The settlement comes just weeks after ex-cabinet secretary Chris Wormald received a record payout of almost £860,000 after Starmer forced him out in February.

FDA general secretary Dave Penman warned the affair has "damaged the bond of trust between civil servants and ministers" in one of the lowest points in civil service history.

Mandelson was himself subsequently dismissed as US ambassador after fresh details emerged about his connections to Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender who died in custody.