"Several ministers spoke out about the decision to sack Robbins during a gloomy cabinet meeting on Tuesday, according to multiple government sources. Those who intervened included the deputy prime minister, David Lammy, who warned against creating a them and us mentality between ministers and officials."
"The home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, is understood to have questioned whether it was justifiable to sack Robbins for his failure to tell Starmer that Mandelson had failed vetting, and then to praise him as an outstanding civil servant."
"One senior cabinet minister is understood to believe that the top official should not have been sacked, but should have been suspended instead until all the facts were available."
Cabinet ministers expressed concerns regarding Keir Starmer's decision to dismiss Olly Robbins as the Foreign Office's top official due to the Peter Mandelson vetting scandal. During a cabinet meeting, several ministers, including David Lammy and Shabana Mahmood, cautioned against creating a divide between ministers and officials. They questioned the justification for Robbins' dismissal, especially after praising him as an outstanding civil servant. The situation reflects unease within the government following revelations about Mandelson's failed vetting and raises questions about the prime minister's judgment.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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