UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is fighting to reassert his authority within the Labour Party after the resignation of his closest aide, Morgan McSweeney, triggered by backlash over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador.
McSweeney stepped down on Sunday, saying he took “full responsibility” for advising Starmer to send Mandelson to Washington despite his links to Jeffrey Epstein. In a statement, he said: “After careful reflection, I have decided to resign from the government… When asked, I advised the prime minister to make that appointment and I take full responsibility for that advice.”
He added: “In public life responsibility must be owned when it matters most, not just when it is most convenient.”
Starmer’s allies hope the departure will calm growing anger among MPs, but senior Labour figures warn it has left the prime minister exposed ahead of major political tests, including an upcoming byelection. One Downing Street source said: “Keir has just lost his firewall, on Mandelson and a whole load of other issues. Where does he think the anger gets directed next?”
Another MP was more blunt, said, “The buck ultimately stops with the PM… he’s mortally wounded and it’s not if, it’s when he goes.”
Pressure intensified on Monday when Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar called on Starmer to resign, saying “the situation in Downing Street is not good enough” and “a huge distraction.” His intervention followed the resignation of communications director Tim Allan, a day after McSweeney’s exit.
Starmer responded by addressing a packed meeting of Labour MPs, insisting: “I am not prepared to walk away from my mandate,” and adding, “Every fight I’ve been in, I have won.” The meeting reportedly drew repeated rounds of applause, with some ministers unable to enter due to overcrowding.
Support soon followed from senior figures, including former deputy Angela Rayner, who offered her “full support.” However, doubts persist among party veterans. Former prime minister Gordon Brown said Starmer was a man of integrity but had been “slow to do the right things,” while David Blunkett warned that internal feuding risked damaging Labour’s image.
Downing Street has appointed Jill Cuthbertson and Vidhya Alakeson as acting chiefs of staff, but officials are bracing for further fallout, including the possible release of internal documents and messages related to Mandelson’s appointment.
Starmer has defended his former aide, saying he owed McSweeney a “debt of gratitude” and crediting him for helping deliver Labour’s landslide victory. “It is largely thanks to his dedication, loyalty and leadership that we won,” he said.
Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch accused Starmer of avoiding responsibility, saying: “It’s about time. But once again with this PM it’s somebody else’s fault.”
As Labour grapples with internal unrest and leadership doubts, Starmer now faces a defining moment, balancing public loyalty, party discipline and political survival in the wake of his most serious crisis since taking office.
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