Morgan McSweeney has resigned as chief of staff to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, taking full responsibility for advising Starmer to appoint Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador to the US in 2024, despite Mandelson's known ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
In his resignation statement, McSweeney said: 'When asked, I advised the prime minister to make that appointment and I take full responsibility for that advice. In public life responsibility must be owned when it matters most, not just when it is most convenient. In the circumstances, the only honourable course is to step aside.'
Starmer accepted the resignation and appointed Jill Cuthbertson and Vidhya Alakeson as acting joint chiefs of staff, both of whom had served as deputy chiefs of staff since 2024. In a statement, Starmer praised McSweeney's role in turning around the Labour Party and leading the election campaign to a landslide victory.
Opposition leaders called for Starmer to take responsibility. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said Starmer 'has to take responsibility for his own terrible decisions. But he never does.' Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper added that 'the buck stops with him' and called for answers for the public and justice for Epstein's victims. Green Party leader Zack Polanski said McSweeney's resignation was 'necessary but not sufficient' and called for Starmer to step down.
Several Labour MPs also urged Starmer to consider his position, including Ian Byrne and Kim Johnson, who described his position as 'untenable'. However, other Labour MPs defended Starmer, with Natalie Fleet saying 'we have never had a prime minister that cares as much about violence against women and girls' and John Slinger urging the party to 'rally behind the prime minister'.
The RMT union's general secretary, Eddie Dempsey, said the Mandelson appointment could be 'fatal for this government unless the Labour party changes its leadership', warning that 'the vestiges of New Labour are poisoning the well of the entire movement'.
