Olly Robbins reaches out-of-court settlement over dismissal

Summary

Former Foreign Office head Olly Robbins has reached a settlement with the government over his dismissal. The Guardian reports that the settlement includes a six-figure payout; the Financial Times describes it as an out-of-court settlement. Prime Minister Keir Starmer dismissed Robbins in April over his role in vetting Peter Mandelson, and Robbins had applied for a High Court judicial review of the decision.

Timeline

1. BBC

   16 Oct 2026, 16:38 UTCSource ↗

   The BBC reports that former top Foreign Office civil servant Olly Robbins reached a settlement with the government over his sacking, which followed the vetting of Lord Mandelson.

2. The Guardian

   16 Oct 2026, 16:44 UTCSource ↗

   The Guardian reports that Robbins received a six-figure government payout over his dismissal and had applied for a High Court judicial review of Keir Starmer's decision.

3. Financial Times

   16 Oct 2026, 17:44 UTCSource ↗

   The Financial Times reports that Robbins reached an out-of-court settlement over his sacking, which it says came in an abrupt phone call from Keir Starmer.