Robbins is suing the government over Keir Starmer’s decision to sack him as permanent secretary at the Foreign Office Olly Robbins is taking the government to court over its decision to sack him as permanent secretary at the Foreign Office. The move has been announced by his union, the FDA, which represents senior civil servants. It is supporting Robbins as he seeks a judicial review of Keir Starmer’s decision to sack him. The prime minister has acknowledged that his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States in December 2024 was a mistake. He should also admit that sacking Olly was a mistake, based on a grievous misunderstanding of how the national security vetting (NSV) system worked and a rash response to a media story. A point of principle is at stake, which affects all FDA members. It damages the core values of a professional and impartial civil service if its most senior officials can be dismissed on a prime ministerial whim, without even the semblance of a fair process or considered understanding of the core issue. I bring this action reluctantly. It would have been unnecessary if the prime minister had simply apologised for his mistake and made amends for the distress and cost it has caused me and my family. Instead, I now have to ask the courts to determine that the prime minister’s decisions were unlawful, unreasonable and to quash them. -The prime minister has asserted publicly that it was his decision to dismiss Olly, however the prime minister has no statutory authority to dismiss the head of the diplomatic service; -Not only was there no fair procedure involved in his dismissal, there was no process at all; and Continue reading...