The Latest Breaking News from Foreign Office

McSweeney rejects claims he bullied civil servants over Mandelson appointment

Downing Street has already denied that civil servants were bullied or cajoled by Mr McSweeney

The Independent UK · Apr 23

Foreign Office unit tracking Israel’s potential breaches of international law closes due to cuts

Exclusive: Officials warn department will also lose access to database of 26,000 verified incidents due to cuts

The Guardian - UK · Apr 23

What Mandelson vetting row reveals about escalating tensions between ministers and civil servants

Keir Starmer’s decision to fire Foreign Office chief Olly Robbins has contributed to “one of the worst crises in relations” between ministers and civil servants in modern times. The words of former cabinet secretary Gus O'Donnell, writing after Robbins was sacked for declining to inform Starmer that Peter Mandelson failed…

The Conversation · Apr 23

EU Pet Passports Are No Longer Valid for Domestic Animals Travelling to Europe from England, Scotland or Wales

British pet owners traveling to the EU face new challenges as EU pet passport rules change, requiring an Animal Health Certificate for each trip, impacting costs and travel plans.

International Business Times UK · Apr 23

Starmer-Mandelson latest: Dismissal of Robbins over vetting scandal ‘wholly unacceptable’, says ex-Labour minister

Denis MacShane said he had never seen such a ‘fallout’ between No 10 and the civil service

The Independent UK · Apr 23

Ian Collard: the Foreign Office insider who may be key to Mandelson scandal

Olly Robbins’ meeting with Collard resulted in Mandelson’s security clearance, which is now under intense scrutiny

The Guardian - UK · Apr 22

Morgan McSweeney, Keir Starmer’s former chief of staff, to be questioned by MPs

Exclusive: McSweeney summoned by foreign affairs select committee in rare step, as Mandelson vetting row continues

The Guardian - UK · Apr 22

Divisions emerge in Keir Starmer’s cabinet over his sacking of Olly Robbins

PM under increasing pressure over Mandelson vetting scandal as sources say ministers spoke up at tense meeting

The Guardian - UK · Apr 22

Mandelson vetting scandal: why Whitehall is the worst of all worlds when it comes to accountability

Keir Starmer’s decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US keeps coming back to haunt him. It has now emerged that Mandelson was granted security clearance by the Foreign Office, despite concerns raised during the vetting process. Top Foreign Office civil servant Olly Robbins was sacked over these…

The Conversation · Apr 22

How Olly Robbins’ knightly charm glossed over burning questions on Mandelson vetting

Former Foreign Office top official’s evidence raises stark issues with ‘the system’ he was seeking to defend

The Guardian - UK · Apr 22