Andy Burnham is facing pressure not to appoint Sir Olly Robbins to a new role – months after he was sacked over his handling of Peter Mandelson’s failed vetting.
Robbins, the former chief Brexit negotiator who went on to become permanent under-secretary at the Foreign Office, has held early-stage talks with Burnham’s team about a possible senior security appointment.
But the prospect of his return to government has alarmed senior Whitehall figures who argue that his role in the Mandelson affair raises serious questions about his suitability for such a sensitive post.
Shorts
They are now understood to be lobbying Burnham’s allies directly, urging them to drop the idea.
