Sky News forced to apologise for Labour MP’s F-bomb during Olly Robbins hearing
It was one of the standout moments in a dramatic morning at Westminster: Dame Emily Thornberry dropping an F-bomb while questioning former top Foreign Office civil servant Sir Olly Robbins.
But it seems the language was a little too spicy for the morning news shows.
Thornberry, the chair of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, was leading an explosive session yesterday investigating the vetting process for Peter Mandelson.
Part of the evidence provided by Robbins – who was sacked last week – centred around pressure from No 10 to get Mandelson quickly approved for the role of ambassador to the US.
Liberal Democrat MP Richard Foord asked the long-serving civil servant about messages allegedly sent to his predecessor in the Foreign Office role, Sir Philip Barton, by Keir Starmer’s then-chief of staff Morgan McSweeney.
He cited a report from Sky News, saying McSweeney ‘rang Sir Philip, and said in terms stronger than those that I can use before the watershed…’
Want to understand more about how politics affects your life?
Metro's senior politics reporter Craig Munro breaks down all the chaos into easy to follow insight, in Metro's politics newsletter Alright, Gov? Sent every Wednesday. Sign up here.
Thornberry then cut in, saying: ‘I think you should.’
Foord continued: ‘Well, I’ll just say it was “just approve it” with terms stronger than that.’
The committee chair chipped in again with the direct quote: ‘Just f***ing approve it.’
News shows, which were broadcasting the hearing live, rushed to apologise for the veteran Labour MP’s language at 10.07am.
A presenter on Sky News said: ‘You’re watching Sky News bringing you live testimony from Westminster.
‘Apologies if any of the language there cause offence. This is a live evidence hearing at the Foreign Affairs Select Committee.
‘We are unable to govern the language used, but apologies again if you were offended by any of the subject matter just then.’
Asked if the message rang true to him, Robbins told the committee: ‘Certainly, Philip’s handover to me has contributed to my strong sense that there was an atmosphere of pressure and a certain dismissiveness about this DV (developed vetting) process.
He added that he did not remember Sir Philip ‘using those words’, saying: ‘I’m proud to say Philip’s probably not the sort of person to report them verbatim.’
Robbins was being questioned amid renewed controversy over Lord Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to the US, the top role in British diplomacy.
The ex-Labour peer was sacked in September last year over his links to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Last week, it emerged the UK’s vetting agency had recommended against granting Mandelson developed vetting, but the Foreign Office decided to give his appointment the green light anyway.
Speaking to MPs on Monday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer insisted he would never have gone ahead with the decision if he had been told the agency’s conclusion.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.