Morgan McSweeney, Prime Minister Keir Starmer's chief of staff, resigned on Sunday after coming under intense pressure over his role in the appointment of Peter Mandelson as Britain's ambassador to the United States. McSweeney said the decision to appoint Mandelson was wrong and that he took full responsibility for advising Starmer to make the appointment, following revelations about Mandelson's close ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The resignation follows the release of US justice department emails that showed a deeper relationship between Mandelson and Epstein than previously disclosed, including communications dating back to Mandelson's time in government. Mandelson was dismissed from his diplomatic post in September and later resigned from the House of Lords. The scandal has intensified scrutiny of Starmer's leadership, already under strain from low approval ratings and economic discontent.
Downing Street announced that deputy chiefs of staff Jill Cuthbertson and Vidhya Alakeson will serve as co-acting chiefs of staff. While Starmer praised McSweeney's role in Labour's return to power, pressure remains on the government as police investigate Mandelson's conduct and further internal documents related to his appointment are expected to be released...
Further reading: Chomsky's wife apologises for "grave mistake" over ties to Epstein.