Sacked Foreign Office chief Olly Robbins settles with the government

The story

Sir Olly Robbins, who was fired in April as the most senior civil servant at the Foreign Office, has reached a settlement with the government over his dismissal. The payout is believed to run to six figures.

Keir Starmer, then prime minister, removed Robbins after it came out that he had overruled a recommendation from UK Security Vetting to deny security clearance to Peter Mandelson. Mandelson, who had been made ambassador to the United States, was later sacked over the extent of his ties to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Robbins had asked the High Court for a judicial review. His case argued that the prime minister had no legal power to dismiss the head of the diplomatic service and that there had been no fair process at all. The settlement brings that challenge to an end.

In a short statement, Robbins thanked former colleagues, friends and strangers for their support and said he was looking forward to the next chapter of his life. He also thanked the FDA, the union for senior civil servants, for helping him reach the deal.

The union's general secretary, Dave Penman, said the affair had damaged trust between civil servants and ministers, and he urged the government to clear up questions about how ministers were involved in vetting. The government will eventually have to publish the exact amount. It is thought to be well below the record £860,000 paid to former cabinet secretary Chris Wormald.