Mandelson scandal LIVE: Sacked official accused of refusing to provide vetting files

NewsPoliticsPoliticsLIVEUpdated 2 mins agoMandelson scandal LIVE: Sacked official accused of refusing to provide vetting filesCat Little, the most senior Cabinet Office official, is appearing before the Foreign Affairs Committee to discuss the process of how the disgraced peer got clearanceCat Little faces questions about the process of vetting Lord Mandelson(Image: James Manning/PA Wire)CommentsNewsAlexander Brown Assistant Political EditorA senior civil servant faces questions about Lord Peter Mandelson’s vetting process, as pressure grows on Keir Starmer over the appointment.Cat Little, the most senior Cabinet Office official, is appearing before the Foreign Affairs Committee to discuss the process of how the disgraced peer got clearance.The PM sacked Sir Olly Robbins last week after discovering he had not been informed that the Foreign Office had sent Lord Mandelson to Washington despite security officials raising concerns about his vetting.But the top mandarin insisted on Tuesday he was right not to pass the information on and accused No10 of a "dismissive" attitude to vetting, and claimed pressure had been put on his department to fast-track the appointment.Follow live updates below.... New UpdatesKey EventsWhen the PM was told about Mandelson issuesView PostCabinet Office official insists 'due process' was followed in Mandelson app…View PostOlly Robbins accused of denying access to key documentView PostToday10:39 BSTOfficial can't explain Olly Robbins 'borderline' claimCat Little says she can’t explain why Sir Olly Robbins described the case of Lord Mandelson as a “borderline” one.She said: “We have very, very experienced security professionals who provide briefings and obviously they have to take a judgment on how to share information up the chain.“I believe it is quite unusual for a permanent secretary to be directly involved in this sort of decision-making. I’m afraid you would have to ask the individual on how to brief S...