British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was plunged into his most serious political crisis since taking office after his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, resigned on Sunday, accepting responsibility for advising the prime minister to appoint Labour veteran Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States despite his past links to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
McSweeney’s departure follows the release of U.S. court files that detailed the extent of Mandelson’s interactions with Epstein, the late sex offender whose network of powerful associates has continued to reverberate through global politics. The disclosures have triggered a police investigation in Britain and intensified scrutiny of Starmer’s judgment just 18 months into his premiership.
The resignation removes one of Starmer’s closest allies and most influential strategists, but it has done little to stem criticism from within Labour or from a resurgent opposition. With opinion polls showing the prime minister’s approval ratings sliding sharply, senior figures across the political spectrum are openly questioning whether Starmer can regain authority and public trust.
In a statement released on Sunday, McSweeney said the decision to appoint Mandelson to Washington in 2024 had been a mistake with far-reaching consequences.
“The decision to appoint Peter Mandelson was wrong,” McSweeney said. “He has damaged our party, our country and trust in politics itself. When asked, I advised the Prime Minister to make that appointment and I take full responsibility for that advice.”
McSweeney, 48, has long been regarded as the architect of Starmer’s rise to power, playing a central role in reshaping Labour’s image after years of electoral defeat. His exit marks the most senior resignation in Starmer’s government to date and underscores the scale of the fallout from the Mandelson affair.
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Starmer, who had spent the past week publicly backing his chief of staff, praised McSweeney following the resignation, saying it had been “an honour” to work with him. The prime minister did not, however, address growing calls for him to accept personal responsibility for the decision.
According to Reuters and the BBC, Mandelson was dismissed as ambassador in September after earlier revelations about his relationship with Epstein resurfaced. At the time, Downing Street said the move was intended to prevent the controversy from distracting from Britain’s diplomatic priorities in Washington.
The controversy escalated sharply after U.S. authorities released a new batch of files on January 30, shedding light on exchanges between Mandelson and Epstein during the global financial crisis of 2009 and 2010. The documents prompted British police to open an investigation into possible misconduct in public office, focusing on allegations that Mandelson may have shared market-sensitive information while serving as a government minister.
Mandelson has denied any wrongdoing. However, the investigation has reignited public anger over elite accountability and fueled claims that Starmer failed to exercise proper judgment when appointing a figure with such a controversial history to a critical diplomatic role.
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Opposition leaders moved quickly to capitalize on the turmoil. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said McSweeney’s resignation was “long overdue” and argued that the prime minister himself could not escape blame.
“Keir Starmer has to take responsibility for his own terrible decisions,” Badenoch said, adding that the episode reflected a deeper problem with leadership at the top of government.
Nigel Farage, leader of the populist Reform UK party, went further, predicting that Starmer’s premiership was nearing its end. Reform UK has surged in recent polls, benefiting from voter frustration over policy reversals and ethical controversies.
thin Labour, the resignation has exposed deep internal divisions. Several Labour lawmakers privately blamed McSweeney for the Mandelson appointment and the political damage that followed. Others argue that the responsibility ultimately rests with Starmer.
One Labour member of parliament, speaking anonymously, told Reuters that McSweeney’s departure might buy the prime minister time but would not resolve the underlying crisis.
The controversy comes at a particularly sensitive moment for Starmer, whose government has already been bruised by a series of policy U-turns that have eroded confidence among voters. According to recent polling cited by the Financial Times and YouGov, Starmer’s personal ratings have dropped to their lowest level since Labour’s landslide election victory less than two years ago.
Political analysts say the Mandelson affair has become a lightning rod for broader concerns about transparency, ethics, and competence in government. “This is no longer just about one appointment,” said one senior political commentator quoted by the BBC. “It’s about whether Starmer can demonstrate the judgment and authority expected of a prime minister.”
With McSweeney gone, Starmer faces a pivotal test of leadership. He must appoint a new chief of staff capable of stabilizing his operation while convincing the public and his own party that lessons have been learned. The coming days, particularly the release of internal government communications, are likely to determine whether the crisis deepens or begins to subside.
So far, Starmer has resisted calls to step aside, insisting that his government remains focused on delivering economic stability and public service reform. But critics argue that the Mandelson episode has inflicted lasting damage on Labour’s credibility.
