UK PM Faces Trouble as Top Adviser Quits Over Epstein Link

Keir Starmer is facing a critical moment in his leadership as he seeks to reassert authority over the Labour Party following the resignation of his closest political adviser, Morgan McSweeney. The prime minister accepted McSweeney’s departure after days of mounting pressure linked to the controversial appointment of Peter Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador to the United States.

In his resignation statement on Sunday, McSweeney said he was taking full responsibility for advising Starmer to send Mandelson to Washington, despite Mandelson’s publicly known past association with Jeffrey Epstein. McSweeney acknowledged that the decision had seriously damaged trust in Labour and in public life more broadly. His exit comes amid growing anger among Labour MPs and activists, much of it now directed squarely at Starmer himself.

Allies of the prime minister hope that the removal of one of the most powerful and polarising figures in Labour’s recent history will ease internal tensions and help stave off leadership challenges. However, senior party figures privately concede that losing the strategist widely credited with engineering Starmer’s rise to power leaves the prime minister exposed at a precarious time. Attention is expected to return to Starmer’s own role in approving Mandelson’s appointment, particularly as Labour approaches a series of tests, including the upcoming Gorton and Denton byelection later this month.

Senior Labour sources warned that McSweeney’s departure strips Starmer of a key protective buffer at a moment when pressure is intensifying. One Downing Street source said the prime minister had lost his “firewall” not only on the Mandelson issue but across multiple fronts, raising the question of where internal anger will now be directed. One Labour MP was blunt, arguing that while McSweeney’s resignation may have bought Starmer some time, responsibility ultimately rests with the prime minister and his position is now gravely weakened.

Government figures expect further strain when a large cache of documents is released, reportedly including private WhatsApp messages and emails exchanged between Mandelson, No 10 officials and ministers during his time in Washington. According to a well-placed source, the papers are likely to show that the Cabinet Office’s propriety and ethics team warned of serious reputational risks associated with Mandelson’s appointment because of his links to Epstein.

McSweeney’s exit represents a significant personal and political loss for Starmer, who had increasingly relied on his adviser’s judgment, sometimes over his own instincts, despite repeated controversies engulfing Downing Street. The two are understood to have held several discussions over recent days about McSweeney’s future before agreeing on Sunday that he should step down.

Opposition figures and senior Labour voices accused Starmer of allowing McSweeney to shoulder the blame for a decision that was ultimately made by the prime minister. Allies of McSweeney pushed back against claims that he had driven the appointment, stressing that he offered advice but that the final call was Starmer’s alone.

In his resignation statement, McSweeney said the Mandelson decision was wrong and had harmed the party, the country and public confidence in politics. He said that accountability must be taken seriously, particularly at moments of consequence, and argued that stepping aside was the only honourable option. He also called for a fundamental overhaul of the vetting process for senior appointments, saying reforms must be substantive rather than symbolic to prevent similar crises in the future.

Later on Sunday, Downing Street staff were informed by email that Starmer had appointed McSweeney’s deputies, Jill Cuthbertson and Vidhya Alakeson, as joint acting chiefs of staff with immediate effect.

Since Labour took office, McSweeney had become a focal point for dissatisfaction among backbench MPs and grassroots members, many of whom were uneasy about both his leadership style and the party’s direction on issues such as immigration and welfare. A senior Labour MP said his departure was long overdue, accusing him of driving a series of damaging decisions and acting in a factional manner. The MP added that Starmer now needs to take firmer control and broaden the range of voices shaping government policy.