Divisions emerge in Keir Starmer’s cabinet over his sacking of Olly Robbins
Keir Starmer is looking increasingly isolated over his handling of the Peter Mandelson scandal with divisions emerging in cabinet over his decision to sack the Foreign Office civil servant Olly Robbins.On another difficult day for the prime minister, the Guardian learned of concerns around the cabinet table, a senior minister refused to say the dismissal was fair and several mandarins called for him to be reinstated.One Labour MP called on Starmer to quit.The scrutiny will continue on Thursday as MPs grill Cat Little, the permanent secretary at the Cabinet Office, over the decision to install Mandelson as Washington ambassador contrary to the advice of vetting officials.Some senior Labour MPs say the prime minister is now living on borrowed time as he continues to come under fire over his decision to appoint the former Labour peer.
One minister said: “Keir’s departure is already baked in,In the meantime, I’ve got very used to compartmentalising trauma,”Another said of the atmosphere: “It’s weirdly resigned and everyone is sort of gallows humour and depressed,”The mood has darkened within the Labour party since the Guardian revealed last week that Mandelson was appointed despite a recommendation from vetting officials that he be denied security clearance,The revelation has reinforced the feeling among many Labour MPs and some ministers that Starmer showed poor political judgment by appointing him in the first place.
Those concerns have been exacerbated by the prime minister’s decision to sack Robbins within hours of the Guardian’s story being published,Robbins confirmed to a committee of MPs on Tuesday that he had not told Downing Street about the vetting concerns, which was the reason Starmer sacked him,The prime minister told the Commons on Wednesday: “Before Mandelson took up his post, [UK Security Vetting] recommended with red flags that clearance should be denied, and there was high concern,“That that was not brought to my attention, or to the attention of the foreign secretary at the time or subsequently, is a very serious error of judgment, and anyone in my position would have lost confidence in the former permanent secretary,”Robbins’ composed appearance in front of the committee however – during which he described the “atmosphere of pressure” imposed by No 10 to confirm Mandelson in post – has persuaded some in Labour that Starmer was wrong to fire him so quickly.
Several cabinet ministers spoke out about that decision during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday described by one source as “gloomy”.Those who intervened included the deputy prime minister, David Lammy, who warned against creating a “them and us” mentality between ministers and officials.The home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, is understood to have questioned whether it was justifiable to sack Robbins and then to praise him as an outstanding civil servant.One person who attended said Mahmood’s complaint was more about the praise being paid to him rather than the decision to sack him.Three others, including the health secretary, Wes Streeting, and the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, urged the prime minister not to pick fights with officials and instead to keep them “on side” – a position with which Starmer agreed.
One senior cabinet minister is understood to believe that the top official should not have been sacked, but should have been suspended instead until all the facts were available.Meanwhile, Pat McFadden, the work and pensions secretary, repeatedly declined to say on Wednesday whether he thought Robbins’ sacking was fair.“I think very highly of him,” he told Times Radio.“If the prime minister has made the judgment that he’s not got confidence in the head of the Foreign Office, then it’s difficult to continue.”McFadden is understood not to be one of those who intervened during the cabinet debate on Tuesday.
One source said: “There was a lengthy discussion in cabinet about the fallout from Robbins’ departure.There were questions about how we were supposed to justify this to others given we were also saying what an honourable civil servant he was.”Some former mandarins are now calling for Starmer to reinstate Robbins.Simon McDonald, one of Robbins’ predecessors at the Foreign Office, wrote in the Guardian on Wednesday that the prime minister had “rush[ed] to a wrong judgment”.The former cabinet secretary Mark Sedwill wrote a letter to the Times saying: “The prime minister should retract his accusations against Olly Robbins and reinstate him to the job the country needs him to do.
”According to a readout from Downing Street, the prime minister told cabinet Robbins “made an error of judgment, but … is a man of integrity and professionalism”, adding: “There are thousands of hard-working civil servants across the country who are full of integrity, doing excellent work every day with a profound sense of public duty.”One person who attended cabinet said the prime minister had spoken first and several others had agreed with him, both about Robbins’ integrity and the importance of keeping the civil service on board.Some in government warn that Whitehall is already in a mutinous mood.One front-bencher said: “Civil servants are openly saying why bother execute orders when they know there will be a new cast list soon.”The pressure is unlikely to break in the coming days as MPs continue to pick over the decision to appoint Mandelson.
On Thursday, Little, the lead civil servant at the Cabinet Office, will testify in front of the foreign affairs select committee.She will be followed next Tuesday by Morgan McSweeney, the prime minister’s former chief of staff.
Lewis Moody ‘picking up baton’ left by Doddie Weir with MND fundraising cycle ride
The former England captain Lewis Moody has said he is “picking up the baton” left by Doddie Weir after announcing plans to lead a 500-mile, seven-day cycling challenge this summer to raise funds for the fight against motor neurone disease.Moody will be joined by many of his fellow 2003 World Cup winners, including Jonny Wilkinson, Mike Tindall and Ben Kay, as well as his teenage sons on a journey from Newcastle to the Allianz Stadium in Twickenham, with all proceeds going to the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation.The former Leicester, Bath and British & Irish Lions forward became the latest retired player to be diagnosed with MND, which he revealed last October, with the disease having claimed the lives of Weir and the former rugby league international Rob Burrow in the past four years.The My Name’5 Doddie Foundation has raised more than £23.5m to fund MND research, and Moody has committed to continuing the former Scotland international’s legacy in fighting a disease that results in six new diagnoses each day in the UK alone
South Africa struggling to secure UK TV deal to screen England Test series
Cricket South Africa has yet to secure a UK television rights deal for England’s marquee Test series next winter with Sky Sports declining an offer to renew a long-term contract that expired last year.Sky’s apparent reluctance to extend a relationship that began more than 30 years ago has left CSA searching for alternative broadcast partners so that the three Tests over Christmas and three one-day internationals in January are televised in the UK.The decision is all the more surprising as South Africa also hosts Australia in a three-Test series in October in a time zone that is convenient to British audiences, and reflects the dwindling value of bilateral international cricket.TNT Sports has made a habit of buying rights rejected by Sky in the past, including last winter’s Ashes and those for Test series in India and Pakistan, but are unable to commit at present due to budget pressures and uncertainty over its long-term ownership. Paramount Skydance has agreed a $110bn deal to buy parent company Warner Bros Discovery but it has yet to be approved by United States regulators, leaving TNT in a holding pattern
‘Tennis is about being fluid’: how Iga Swiatek is drawing on her time with Rafael Nadal to regain No 1 spot
Iga Swiatek had little interest in tennis as a teenager, but the one exception was Rafael Nadal. She spent her formative years idolising the Spaniard, who won 22 majors and, from afar, soon became one of his most avid students.His influence is evident in the heavy topspin the Pole generates with her forehand, still a singular weapon on the women’s tour, proof of the intensity she demands of herself on every point and her four French Open titles earned by the time she was barely 23.After a youth spent following Nadal’s career, Swiatek’s success allowed her to build a friendly rapport with him away from the court. Their friendship then came full circle this month as she found herself being coached by Nadal at his academy in Mallorca alongside her new full-time coach Francisco Roig, Nadal’s former coach of 18 years
‘Two are stronger than one’: Boston Marathon duo praised for helping struggling runner cross finish line
A pair of Boston Marathon runners who teamed up to help a fellow athlete across the race’s finish line have been praised for their “beautiful moment” of sportsmanship.Ajay Haridasse, a 21-year-old university student from Wakefield, Massachusetts, found himself stumbling after passing the 26-mile mark in Monday’s race. After falling for a fourth time, he was “getting ready to crawl” to the finish line, Haridasse told the Boston Herald.As he attempted to regain his strength, Aaron Beggs, a 40-year-old from Northern Ireland, appeared on his left side and pulled Haridasse to his feet. Haridasse stumbled again, only to be caught from behind by another runner, Robson De Oliveira, a 36-year-old of Brazil
London Marathon organisers believe two-day event could bring £400m economic boost
London Marathon organisers have revealed more details about plans to stage a two-day event next year which they say would be an “incredible celebration” that would raise more than £130m for charity and bring in £400m in social and economic benefits.As the Guardian revealed last month, advanced talks are under way for the one-off event which would allow around 100,000 people to take part, nearly double the number running on Sunday.Speaking on Wednesday, Hugh Brasher, the event director, confirmed that one of the two days would be devoted to faster women, with the women’s elite race, women’s championship and good-for-age runners and a mixed mass participation race all taking place. The other day would then focus more on the men’s races while also having a second mass participation race for men and women.Brasher also promised those still holding up the deal that 2027 would be a one-off “double” as the London Marathon did not want to “lose the love” it has from runners, fans and people living in the capital
Ryder Cup tickets hit record Europe high at £434 a day in Ireland next year
Ryder Cup Europe has doubled the cost of a ticket to attend next year’s marquee event when the US will seek to regain the trophy at Adare Manor in County Limerick.Organisers will charge fans €499 (£434) for a daily ticket when a batch are released to those living in Ireland, where the centenary event is being held, on Friday. That is almost double the €260 face value spectators paid in Rome three years ago.Practice-day covers will be more reasonably priced at €89 for adults and €20 for children for the Tuesday and Wednesday sessions, rising to €179 and €30 for Thursday, which includes the opening ceremony.Despite the prices being at record levels for European-hosted Ryder Cup, fans paid $750 (£555) to watch Europe’s victory over the US at Bethpage in New York last year
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