Senior British official Olly Robbins resigns over Mandelson appointment; Starmer refuses to quit amid resignation calls

“British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has no plans to resign over revelations that his scandal-tainted pick for U.K. Ambassador to Washington was appointed despite failing security checks,” officials said on Friday (April 17, 2026).

Mr. Starmer says he was unaware that the Foreign Office had overruled the recommendation of security officials in early 2025 not to give Peter Mandelson the job. Many considered Mr. Mandelson a risky appointment because of his past friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.