British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing a challenge to his leadership following the resignation of his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, amid controversy surrounding the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US.
Peter Mandelson Appointment Sparks Crisis
Starmer is expected to address a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) as anger mounts over the appointment of Mandelson, despite knowledge of his continued links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein after Epstein’s conviction.
McSweeney resigned, taking “full responsibility” for advising Starmer on what he called the “wrong” appointment. However, scrutiny is focused on Starmer’s own judgment, as he ultimately made the final decision.
The UK government is preparing to release tens of thousands of emails, messages, and documents related to Mandelson’s appointment. Starmer believes these files will demonstrate that Mandelson lied about the extent of his ties to Epstein during vetting.
According to The Guardian, the Cabinet Office had warned about the significant reputational risk of appointing Mandelson to the ambassadorship.
Starmer and McSweeney reportedly agreed it was the right time for McSweeney to move on. Starmer praised his longtime advisor’s “dedication, loyalty and leadership” in securing Labour’s 2024 general election win, and expressed a “debt of gratitude” – without mentioning Mandelson.
Vidhya Alakeson and Jill Cuthbertson have been appointed joint acting chiefs of staff following McSweeney’s departure.
Calls for Starmer to Resign
Labour MP Rachael Maskell stated that McSweeney’s departure was “a start,” but urged Starmer to “turn away from the factionalism” fostered by his former aide. She suggested Starmer would struggle to continue if he did not recognize the seriousness of the situation.
Other Labour MPs, including Brian Leishman, Ian Byrne and Kim Johnson, have suggested Starmer should also consider resigning.
Unnamed Cabinet ministers, quoted by The Times, described Starmer as “weaker” and suggested he “could stand down at any moment,” claims Downing Street has refuted as “categorically untrue.”
Union leaders have also increased pressure on Starmer, with Fire Brigades Union general secretary Steve Wright calling for his resignation. Maryam Eslamdoust, general secretary of the Labour-affiliated Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association, stated there was “no case for waiting until May” given the anticipated scale of defeat in upcoming elections, and called for a new leader.
However, Starmer ally John Slinger argued that “the last thing the country needs is leadership speculations.” David Blunkett, former home secretary, cautioned against “a party acting like ferrets in a sack.”
Downing Street has maintained its commitment to the government’s policy agenda and economic strategy.
Starmer is scheduled to address the women’s PLP after Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday and will make on-camera interventions this week. He and McSweeney have attributed blame for the controversy to the security services’ vetting process, which failed to disprove Mandelson’s claims of limited contact with Epstein – claims later discredited by the “Epstein files.” Officials are now prioritizing a review of that vetting process.
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