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The FCDO’s senior civil servant, Sir Ollie Robbins, was sacked by Sir Keir Starmer earlier this year on Lord Mandelson’s security clearance.
After being eliminated, Sir Ollie was in a “pressured atmosphere” and a “constant chase” from No. 10 during the inspections.
In its recommendations, the report said, “No public appointment should be announced or made without first obtaining appropriate security clearance.”
The report said documents published in the proceedings suggest that officials took a “misguided view” of the need for Lord Mandelson to pass security clearance before taking the job.
In its report, the committee stated that it has been given the responsibility to establish what is called a ‘fair process’ regarding political appointments.
After examining what had happened in Lord Mandelson’s case, the report said, “the committee was left with the impression that this process was being staged.”
“Lessons must be learned. There must be a proper process for political appointment(s), which must include a vetting process before the Foreign Affairs Committee,” he said.
The report said that the committee should have a veto if “the appointee is not deemed to have met the required criteria”, and said that the mandatory hearings before the appointment are only applicable to political appointees, not the officers recruited from the civil service.
He said these candidates should face a mandatory evidence session before being appointed.
The report was critical of Number 10 and the FCDO’s “impressive” record-keeping and argued that this might have been mitigated by a pre-scheduled hearing with the committee.
“Even if Peter Mandelson did not answer all of our questions honestly, we would at least have a public record of statements we don’t have now,” the report added.
Other tips include:
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A formal process for political nominations for ambassadorial roles should be developed.
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The Prime Minister must always consult the Foreign Secretary and the Head of the Diplomatic Service before making any political appointment as an ambassador.
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Civil servants should be briefed on the findings of Sir Adrian Fulford, who is currently conducting a National Security Review.
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FCDO should improve its record keeping process in relation to these appointments.
Dame Emily Thornberry, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said: “There are still unanswered questions about how the person who was appointed as Britain’s ambassador to the United States.”
She described Lord Mandelson’s appointment as an “unmitigated risk to the country” and called for steps to be taken to ensure a “clear and transparent process” in the future.
“The procedures were rushed or simply not followed. The usual checks and balances were not done. Security checks that are critical to our national security were seen as a nuisance,” she said.
In response to a request from the BBC, a government spokesman said changes had been made to the way the vetting process was applied to political appointees.
“The Prime Minister has ordered an independent review of the national security clearance system, chaired by Sir Adrian Fulford, to ensure lessons have been learned.”
It is understood that Lord Mandelson considered the inquiry to be highly biased and prejudiced. It is understood that he believes the appointment was no accident – it has resulted in some notable achievements.
