Afternoon briefing Tuesday 21st April

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0:4110 of a dismissive approach to Peter Manilson's vetting and of creating an atmosphere of pressure to approve him as ambassador to Washington. Sir Ollie Robbins has been giving evidence to MPs about the process to appoint the peer. My office, the Foreign Secretary's office, were under constant pressure. There was an atmosphere of constant chasing. Daily phone calls. I couldn't say for certain daily, but I mean certainly very frequent. He was effectively sacked from his job last week when the Prime Minister accused him of a cover-up and withholding vetting concerns about Lord Mandelson. But Sir Ollie Robbins says that he didn't tell ministers because Lord Mandelson's vetting was a borderline case which didn't raise exceptional concerns and he wants to keep the process independent of ministers.

1:31He also says Downing Street wanted the peers' appointment confirmed quickly. Permanent Secretary says Peter Mandelson was already being given access to highly classified information before vetting checks were complete. The Conservative leader, Kemi Bainock, told Times Radio Sir Keir Starmer is lying to save his skin and that he shouldn't have appointed Lord Mandelson in the first place. Peter Mandelson is someone who had been sacked twice from government. The Cabinet Secretary at the time told Keir Starmer not to make any appointment until the security vetting had been done. so he was told not to make the appointment.

2:06And he still did. Why did he do that? Cabinet ministers have denied the Prime Minister intentionally misled anyone. Sir Oli Robbins also says Number 10 asked him to find a diplomatic job for Sir Keir Starmer's former communications chief, Matthew Doyle. He says he raised serious concerns and the idea did not go ahead. Matthew Doyle was later made a peer, despite campaigning for a councillor who was charged with child sex offences. Elsewhere, the US Vice President J.D. Vance is due to fly to Pakistan for more peace talks with Iran. It's thought the Iranian supreme leader has given the green light for negotiations, although Tehran hasn't confirmed whether it'll send a delegation.

2:43The Times' World Affairs editor Catherine Phil thinks it's a power play. I think the Iranians are trying to get themselves back to a position of strength. So they're playing awkward and suggesting they're not going to show up. I think in the end they will have to show up. Unemployment fell unexpectedly in the three months of February to 4.9%, that's down from 5.2 % in January. Average earnings growth continued to fall and was 3.6%, that is about half a percentage point above inflation. And the Times has revealed Karen Brady has stepped down as vice chair of West Ham United. The businesswoman and star of The Apprentice led the negotiations, which saw the club move to the 2012 Olympic Stadium in 2016.

3:26that fan protests have recently criticised her and Joint Chair David Sullivan for financial losses and for on-pitch results which have left the club close to the relegation zone in the Premier League. Don't forget to subscribe to the Times Radio News Briefing on Spotify or listen live to Times Radio Online for analysis of Sir Oli Robbins' evidence.

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