British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, resigned on Sunday, according to Reuters, as pressure mounted over the government’s controversial decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States.
Starmer is confronting what many observers describe as the most serious crisis of his 18 months in office, following revelations detailing Mandelson’s past association with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. McSweeney’s departure removes a key architect of Labor’s rise to power and casts uncertainty over the government’s direction less than two years after the party secured one of the largest parliamentary majorities in modern British history.
Opinion polls already show Starmer struggling with public approval, and disquiet within Labor has grown, with some lawmakers openly questioning the prime minister’s judgment and leadership. Whether McSweeney’s exit will ease that pressure remains unclear.
In his resignation statement, McSweeney, 48, accepted responsibility for advising Starmer to make the appointment. “The decision to appoint Peter Mandelson was wrong. He has damaged our party, our country and trust in politics itself,” he said, adding that he bore full responsibility for the recommendation.
Starmer had spent the past week publicly backing his chief aide, a stance critics say risks further scrutiny of his own decision-making. Responding to the resignation on Sunday, the prime minister said it had been “an honor” to work with McSweeney.
Fresh disclosures over Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein surfaced in recent days, reigniting controversy for Labor and prompting a police investigation into alleged misconduct in public office.
Documents reportedly suggest Mandelson shared government information with Epstein in 2009 and 2010, claims that have intensified political backlash.
Several Labor MPs had demanded McSweeney’s resignation, arguing he was responsible for Mandelson’s appointment and the reputational damage caused by the publication of crude exchanges between Mandelson and Epstein.
McSweeney, long considered both a protégé and close ally of Mandelson, faced criticism from political opponents and members of his own party for allegedly failing to ensure thorough background checks before the appointment.
He had served as chief of staff since October 2024, when he replaced Sue Gray following her resignation amid controversy over pay and political donations.
