Morgan McSweeney, the prime minister's former chief of staff, defended Keir Starmer and placed all blame on Peter Mandelson during his appearance before the Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday. By the end of his testimony, it seemed he could barely recall who Mandelson was, according to John Rentoul.
McSweeney's Testimony
McSweeney described the revelation of Mandelson's ties to Jeffrey Epstein as "like a knife through my soul." He denied Mandelson was his mentor or hero, stating he sought advice from a range of people, including those "more shy with the media." McSweeney aimed to correct the impression from a book that he was a sinister puppeteer controlling Starmer, and to clarify he was not ultimately responsible for Mandelson's appointment as ambassador to Washington.
Starmer's Decision-Making
McSweeney insisted Starmer makes his own decisions, saying, "The prime minister has his own mind. Sometimes he takes advice from me, at other times he would say no and go in a different direction." He admitted advising in favor of Mandelson but noted Starmer also consulted others who recommended the appointment. McSweeney apologized to Epstein's victims, acknowledging the advice turned out to be bad.
Mandelson's Role
McSweeney portrayed Mandelson as not a guiding hand in Labour strategy, claiming Mandelson wanted to "split the Labour Party" and promote centrism. McSweeney said he only began consulting Mandelson around 2021, along with other former Labour figures like Margaret McDonagh and Spencer Livermore. He expressed disappointment that Mandelson concealed his closeness to Epstein, stating, "I thought Peter Mandelson cared about his party and loved his country."
McSweeney's testimony placed responsibility for the risky decision firmly with Starmer, who remains in post while McSweeney paid with his job.
