Cabinet minister Pat McFadden repeatedly declined to say he believed Sir Keir Starmer’s sacking of top Foreign Office official Sir Olly Robbins was fair.
Asked on Times Radio if the sacking felt fair, Mr McFadden said he thought “very highly” of Sir Olly but “I think if the Prime Minister’s made the judgment that he’s not got confidence in the head of the Foreign Office, the head of the foreign service, then it’s difficult to continue”.
Asked again if it was fair, Mr McFadden said: “Look, it’s the Prime Minister’s judgment.”
Asked the same question again, Mr McFadden said: “As a Cabinet member, I support the Prime Minister’s decisions.
“He took the decision he couldn’t continue with Olly Robbins in post because he viewed the material that had been withheld from him, not shared with him, as really important in making this decision.”