Keir Starmer Confronts Labour Mutiny After Top Aide's Mandelson Scandal Exit
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is facing a mutinous rebellion from within his own Labour Party ranks following the resignation of his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, over the escalating Lord Peter Mandelson scandal. The political crisis threatens to undermine Starmer's premiership as disgruntled MPs demand greater accountability and transparency.
Mounting Pressure on Starmer's Leadership
Sir Keir is expected to address a critical meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) on Monday, seeking to shore up support amid growing anger over his decision to appoint Lord Mandelson as ambassador to the United States. This appointment proceeded despite Starmer's awareness that Mandelson maintained ties with Jeffrey Epstein after the financier's conviction for child sex offences.
The resignation of Morgan McSweeney, who took "full responsibility" for advising the Prime Minister on what he called the "wrong" appointment, has failed to quell the discontent. Critics, including several Labour MPs, have emphasised that Starmer made the final decision, raising serious questions about his judgment and leadership.
Scrutiny Intensifies Over Mandelson's Vetting
The Government is preparing for a lengthy process of releasing tens of thousands of emails, messages, and documents related to Lord Mandelson's appointment. Sir Keir believes these files will prove that the former Labour grandee lied about the extent of his connections to the notorious paedophile during the vetting process.
According to The Guardian, citing a well-placed source, the documents will reveal that the Cabinet Office had warned about the grave reputational risk of awarding Lord Mandelson the ambassadorship. Starmer and McSweeney mutually agreed that it was the right moment for the chief of staff to depart, though the Prime Minister's statement credited McSweeney's "dedication, loyalty and leadership" for Labour's 2024 general election victory, without mentioning the Mandelson fiasco.
Labour MPs and Union Chiefs Demand Action
Rachael Maskell, Labour MP for York Central, told the Press Association that McSweeney's departure was "a start" but insisted Sir Keir must "turn away from the factionalism" engendered by his former aide. She warned on BBC Radio 4's The Westminster Hour that if Starmer hasn't understood the seriousness of the situation, he will find it very difficult to continue.
Other left-wing Labour MPs, including Brian Leishman, Ian Byrne, and Kim Johnson, suggested Sir Keir should consider following McSweeney out the door. The Times quoted two unnamed Cabinet ministers saying Starmer was "weaker" and "could stand down at any moment", a claim Downing Street labelled "categorically untrue".
Union leaders have also heaped pressure on the Labour leader. Fire Brigades Union general secretary Steve Wright called for his resignation, while Maryam Eslamdoust, general secretary of the Labour-affiliated Transport Salaried Staffs' Association, told The Telegraph there is no case for waiting until May given the scale of defeat facing critical elections, urging the party to elect a new leader.
Defiance from Downing Street and Allies
Despite the turmoil, Downing Street remains defiant, insisting the Government's policy agenda and commitment to its economic strategy remain unchanged. Starmer ally John Slinger argued that "the last thing the country needs is leadership speculations", and Labour grandee Lord Blunkett warned against "a party acting like ferrets in a sack".
Sir Keir is expected to speak to the women's PLP after Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday and make on-camera interventions this week. He and McSweeney have pinned blame on vetting by the security services for failing to disprove Lord Mandelson's claims that he barely knew Epstein, claims later debunked by disclosures in the so-called Epstein files. Officials have been tasked with examining that vetting process as a priority.
