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Hell hath no fury like a disgruntled former employee – and, in this case, perhaps justifiably so. As Sir Keir Starmer scrambles to cobble together something resembling a legacy during his final week in the top job, one Sir Olly Robbins could stop him in his tracks.
The former top mandarin at the Foreign Office has announced that he is taking Keir to court, formally issuing proceedings seeking a judicial review of his dismissal as Permanent Secretary. Sir Olly famously joined the growing club of aides and officials scapegoated by the Prime Minister for his own failings in April this year. The softly spoken civil servant later earned plaudits for his measured and calm explanation to a select committee of why it was Sir Keir – rather than himself – who bore ultimate responsibility for the disastrous appointment of Peter Mandelson as US Ambassador.
Announcing the legal action, Sir Olly said:
I bring this action reluctantly. It would have been unnecessary if the Prime Minister had simply apologised for his mistake and made amends for the distress and cost it has caused me and my family. Instead, I now have to ask the Courts to determine that the Prime Minister’s decisions were unlawful, unreasonable and to quash them.
