STORY
In a blow to the Downing Street administration, Morgan McSweeney has resigned as Keir Starmer’s Chief of Staff. The departure of the Prime Minister’s most senior aide follows days of intensifying pressure and internal party turmoil regarding the appointment of Peter Mandelson as the United Kingdom’s ambassador to the United States. In a statement released this afternoon, McSweeney admitted that the decision to appoint Lord Mandelson was “wrong” and stated that he takes “full responsibility” for advising the Prime Minister to proceed with the selection despite significant concerns.
The resignation comes after a bruising week for the Labour government, during which several MPs publicly called for McSweeney to step aside. The controversy centred on Lord Mandelson’s ties to the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, which came under renewed scrutiny following the disclosure of files that suggested the peer had been less than forthcoming during the initial vetting process.