Official data indicates that the UK government’s budget fell short of its yearly borrowing goal by £700 million, though the ongoing conflict in Iran is expected to disrupt Finance Minister Rachel Reeves’s planned financial buffer in the near future. Reporter Tom Knowles covers the details.
Good morning. According to a lead story by Kiran Stacey, Pippa Crerar, and Jessica Elgot in the Guardian, Prime Minister Keir Starmer appears increasingly alone in managing the controversy surrounding Peter Mandelson, with cabinet splits arising over his choice to dismiss Foreign Office official Olly Robbins.
The issue persists today as Cat Little, the top civil servant in the Cabinet Office, appears before the House of Commons foreign affairs committee to discuss the dispute over Mandelson’s security vetting. This session may not reveal as much as Robbins’s testimony earlier this week.
Little plays a central role for two main reasons. As Cabinet Office head, she oversees the gathering of all records related to Mandelson’s nomination as US ambassador, including his interactions with government figures, which must be disclosed following a parliamentary motion. During this process, she uncovered a document from UK Security Vetting (UKSV) showing that interviewers recommended against granting Mandelson developed vetting clearance.
She informed the prime minister of this finding last Tuesday. An excerpt from the meeting notes released by Downing Street states that UKSV prepares a file with a recommendation on clearance, forwarded to the relevant department—in this instance, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). While reviewing the file for the disclosure, Little learned the vetting officer advised against approval. Departments have some leeway to proceed, and the FCDO did so, approving the clearance. The rationale for overriding the advice remains unclear, as the decision trail is not yet available.
Additionally, since UKSV operates under the Cabinet Office, Little supervises the entire procedure. After Starmer received this information and it became public via a Guardian article, he removed Robbins from his position, arguing that Robbins should have adhered to the UKSV guidance or at least alerted the prime minister’s office.
In his committee appearance, Robbins maintained that UKSV provides only a suggestion, with the ultimate call resting with the Foreign Office’s security experts, and he believed the identified risks could be handled appropriately.
Little might clarify this disagreement, though as an active civil servant reporting to the prime minister, she is unlikely to say anything that could undermine him significantly. These proceedings also offer insights into the UK’s governmental operations, particularly the secretive aspects of security vetting managed by the Cabinet Office.
Today’s schedule includes:
– 9:30 a.m.: Cat Little testifies before the foreign affairs committee.
– 9:30 a.m.: The Office for National Statistics releases crime data for England and Wales.
– Morning: Keir Starmer visits the northeast for a St. George’s Day event.
– 11:30 a.m.: Downing Street conducts a press briefing.
– Afternoon: Kemi Badenoch tours Pembrokeshire with Welsh Conservative leader Darren Millar.
– Afternoon: Starmer joins a military strategy session at Northwood headquarters related to the Strait of Hormuz alliance.
– 4:30 p.m.: Attorney General Lord Hermer addresses an event at Oxford University with Alain Berset, secretary general of the Council of Europe.
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