Starmer tells civil servants to speak ‘truth to power’ after vetting row15 hours agoJoshua Nevett,Political reporterandDamian Grammaticas,Political correspondentPA MediaPrime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has told civil servants he values them speaking “truth to power”, in a letter that acknowledges an “unsettling” period for the civil service.The letter comes after the sacking of former Foreign Office boss Sir Olly Robbins over his role in vetting Lord Mandelson to be the UK’s ambassador to the US.Sir Olly was removed from his post last month after it emerged he had not told Sir Keir he had granted Lord Mandelson security clearance despite officials raising security concerns.Sir Keir told MPs he found it “staggering” that “officials in the Foreign Office saw fit to withhold this information” from ministers.Sir Olly later told a committee of MPs he had followed the proper process while under “constant pressure” from No 10 to approve Lord Mandelson’s appointment.In a letter sent to government employees across Whitehall on Wednesday afternoon, Sir Keir told them he recognised “the events of the last recent weeks have felt unsettling”.He said: “But wherever you serve, I want to be clear: these events do not define the civil service. He added: “To those feeling exposed by recent scrutiny let me say that I value’speaking the truth to power’ which is the hallmark of our systems. “I want to create a culture in which information is freely shared, risks are flagged up early, and we work together to solve issues before they become crises. Sir Keir wrote to officials that he was fixing the processes that had failed, but that he was not changing the value that we place on their role. Dave Penman, the head of the FDA, which represents senior civil service employees, accused Sir Keir, of sending a “real cold chill” throughout the civil services following the sacking Sir Olly. Penman spoke on BBC Newsnight in July, saying: “Who would think that they would be immune when it’s politically expedient to dismiss? Lord McDonald, former permanent under-secretary of the Foreign Office and head the diplomatic service at the time, criticised the manner in which Sir Olly was removed. He told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme that the removal of Sir Olly from his post came on the day that the Guardian story about security vetting broke. “This shows to me that No 10, they wanted a scalp quickly”, he said. “I feel exposed not by recent scrutiny but by a PM that has thrown the cabinet secretaries and permanent secretaries at the foreign office in the bus to deflect critics.” Another official compared Sir Keir to former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who they said “treated us with contempt then sent warm words”. “Another compared him to former Prime Minister Boris Johnson who they said “treated with contempt, then sent warm messages”.A third official said that the lack of trust between the civil service and ministers could make everyone more risk-averse.
