LONDON, U.K.: Olly Robbins, the ex-civil servant who was fired from his job for approving Peter Mandelson's appointment as British ambassador to Washington, said he was pressured politically to push through the appointment despite security concerns.

The former head of the Foreign Office said the concerns were not about Mandelson's relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He refused to tell lawmakers what made the government's vetting agency flag Mandelson as a possible security risk.

Robbins said the vetting agency saw Mandelson as a borderline case and was leaning against giving him security clearance to become the British ambassador to Washington.

Despite this, the Foreign Office approved him. Prime Minister Keir Starmer removed Robbins from his position last week because of this decision.

Robbins told the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee on April 21 that there was pressure from Starmer's office. He said officials strongly expected Mandelson to take up the role in the US as soon as possible.

Starmer is now facing calls to step down after it was revealed that Mandelson was given the important diplomatic role despite failing security checks.

Robbins also said that in January 2025, before Mandelson went to Washington, there was a generally dismissive attitude toward the security vetting.

The prime minister admitted he made a wrong decision in choosing Mandelson, who was a friend of Jeffrey Epstein, for the role. However, he said he would have canceled the appointment if he had known about the security concerns.

Starmer blamed Foreign Office officials, saying they did not inform him about the vetting issues and still approved Mandelson's appointment.

He said it was shocking that officials failed to tell him about the failed vetting in January 2025, adding that he only learned about it last week.

Starmer eventually removed Mandelson from the role in September, nine months after he took the job, when new information about his connection with Epstein came to light.

In a related development, Zarah Sultana, a left-wing independent MP, strongly criticized Keir Starmer, accusing him of misleading the public and calling him a "Barefaced liar."

She said she had a duty to her constituents to speak the truth and repeated the accusation inside the House of Commons.

Under parliamentary rules, directly calling another MP, especially the Prime Minister, a liar is considered unparliamentary language. Because of this, she was ordered to withdraw the remark and leave the chamber.

When she refused to comply, she was immediately suspended from the House for defying the Speaker's authority.