Keir Starmer, the British Prime Minister, is facing a significant political crisis after his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, resigned on Sunday. McSweeney stated he took responsibility for advising Starmer to appoint Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the U.S., despite Mandelson’s well-documented connections to Jeffrey Epstein. The controversy has intensified following the release of new files detailing the extent of Mandelson’s relationship with the deceased sex offender.
McSweeney, a key strategist instrumental in Starmer’s rise to power, stepped down amidst growing criticism of the Prime Minister’s judgment. Opposition leaders have seized on the situation, with Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch stating that Starmer must take responsibility for his decisions. Nigel Farage, head of the Reform UK party, suggested that Starmer’s time in office may be nearing its end.
The released files have also sparked a police investigation into potential misconduct in office, alleging that Mandelson leaked market-sensitive information to Epstein during the global financial crisis when he was a government minister. Starmer initially defended McSweeney, a move that could now face further scrutiny. Starmer sacked Mandelson as ambassador in September over his links to Epstein.
In the interim, Starmer has appointed his deputy chiefs of staff, Jill Cuthbertson and Vidhya Alakeson, to jointly serve as acting chiefs of staff. The government has also agreed to release previously private communications between government members during Mandelson’s appointment, potentially creating further complications for Starmer as he attempts to move forward.
