How the scapegoating of a respected civil servant may lead to Starmer's downfall

How the scapegoating of a respected civil servant may lead to Starmer's downfall Submitted by Peter Oborne on Wed, 04/22/2026 - 09:19 This is a moment of maximum danger for the British PM - his actions have made him vastly unpopular not just with the electorate, but with his own cabinet and civil service too Sir Oliver Robbins, former permanent secretary to the foreign office, gives evidence to a Westminster select committee, London, 21 April in this screengrab of parliamentary footage (Handout/PRU/AFP) On Sir Keir Starmer was elected prime minister just under two years ago amidst a surge of national goodwill. This had little or nothing to do with his own robotic personality. Britons were fed up with the sleaze, lies, incompetence and the endless chaos of the outgoing Tory government.