The Chief of Staff to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Morgan McSweeney, has resigned following intense political fallout surrounding the appointment of Peter Mandelson as the United Kingdom’s ambassador to the United States, despite his past links to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
McSweeney stepped down on Sunday after a week of mounting pressure within government and the Labour Party over the decision, which has triggered public backlash and a police investigation in the United Kingdom.
In a statement to reporters, McSweeney acknowledged responsibility for advising Prime Minister Starmer to approve Mandelson’s appointment last year, describing the decision as a serious error.
“The decision to appoint Peter Mandelson was wrong. He has damaged our party, our country and trust in politics itself,” McSweeney said. “In the circumstances, the only honourable course is to step aside.”
McSweeney, the most senior political adviser to the prime minister, said he did not personally oversee the due diligence and vetting process for the appointment but stressed that the system must now undergo a fundamental overhaul.
“This cannot simply be a gesture but a safeguard for the future,” he added.
Prime Minister Starmer accepted the resignation and praised McSweeney’s contribution to the Labour Party and his role in the party’s recent electoral success.
“It is largely thanks to his dedication, loyalty and leadership that we won a landslide majority and have the chance to change the country,” Starmer said in a statement.
The controversy surrounding Mandelson intensified following the recent release of additional files related to Epstein by the United States Department of Justice. The documents prompted British police to open an investigation into allegations that Mandelson may have passed market-sensitive government information to Epstein following the 2008 global financial crisis.
As part of the investigation, police reportedly raided two properties linked to Mandelson on Friday. Authorities are probing possible misconduct in public office.
Mandelson resigned from the Labour Party last Sunday and stepped down from the House of Lords on Wednesday. Efforts to reach him for comment have been unsuccessful.
The scandal has plunged Starmer’s administration into political turbulence, with critics questioning the prime minister’s judgment in appointing Mandelson despite his well-documented association with Epstein, which continued even after the financier’s 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor.
Political analysts say the episode has raised broader concerns about transparency, accountability and vetting processes for senior diplomatic appointments, as pressure mounts on the government to restore public confidence
