British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, resigned on Sunday amid mounting political pressure over Starmer’s controversial appointment of Peter Mandelson as the United Kingdom’s ambassador to the United States.
McSweeney, widely regarded as Starmer’s closest adviser and a key architect of Labor’s 2024 election victory, accepted full responsibility for recommending Mandelson for the role. In a statement, he said, “The decision to appoint Peter Mandelson was wrong. He has damaged our party, our country, and trust in politics itself. I take full responsibility for advising the Prime Minister to make that appointment.”
The controversy erupted after newly released US documents highlighted Mandelson’s prior connections to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, raising questions over his conduct while serving as Britain’s Business Secretary during the 2008 financial crisis. The revelations prompted calls for Starmer to reconsider both Mandelson’s posting and his own judgment.
Mandelson, 72, a veteran Labor politician and key figure in the party’s centrist shift under Tony Blair, was previously sacked in September 2024 over his Epstein links.
He now faces a police investigation for potential misconduct in public office, while the Foreign Office reviews his estimated £55,000 severance payment following seven months in the ambassadorial role.
McSweeney’s departure intensifies scrutiny on Starmer’s leadership and highlights growing tensions within the Labor Party over governance, appointments, and political accountability, marking a major crisis for the Prime Minister ahead of key domestic and international engagements.
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