Prime Minister Keir Starmer writes to senior civil servants to reinforce expectations that officials should speak candidly to ministers, following tensions connected to the sacking of former Foreign Office official Sir Olly Robbins. Both reports describe the move as an attempt to repair strained relations between ministers and the civil service after controversy over Robbins’ departure. The background includes concerns about how officials were vetted and the circumstances surrounding Robbins’ removal, which is linked in the reporting to an affair involving former Labour figure Lord Mandelson. The BBC says Starmer tells civil servants to speak “truth to power” after the vetting row, while the Financial Times reports he urges officials to tell ministers the truth as part of efforts to reduce damage to trust within government. The correspondence is presented as guidance on conduct and communication, rather than a change in policy. The reports do not suggest that the prime minister makes additional allegations beyond reiterating the need for frank advice and proper handling of sensitive issues.