British PM Starmer battles to survive as aides quit over Epstein scandal

LONDON, Feb 9: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is fighting to retain his leadership after the resignation of two senior aides over the fallout from the appointment of a controversial politician linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, plunging his government into one of its most serious crises since taking office.
Morgan McSweeney, Starmer’s chief of staff and a key strategist behind Labour’s landslide general election victory in July 2024, stepped down over the weekend. His resignation followed the release of Epstein-related documents in the United States that exposed further details of former cabinet minister Peter Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein and triggered a criminal investigation by UK police. Mandelson had been appointed Britain’s ambassador to the United States last year despite publicly known links to Epstein and was later removed from the post.
Tim Allan, Starmer’s director of communications, resigned on Monday, saying he wanted to “allow a new No. 10 team to be built.” In his resignation letter, McSweeney took full responsibility for advising Starmer to appoint Mandelson, calling the decision wrong and acknowledging that it had damaged the Labour Party, the country, and public trust in politics.
Despite McSweeney’s attempt to shield the prime minister, Labour MPs have continued to question Starmer’s judgment and leadership, particularly over the vetting process that allowed Mandelson’s appointment. A make-or-break meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party is scheduled, where Starmer is expected to face intense scrutiny from Cabinet colleagues and backbenchers concerned about the political fallout.
Starmer praised McSweeney’s role in rebuilding Labour after one of its worst electoral defeats and in delivering its decisive 2024 election victory, but acknowledged that his departure represents a major blow. Losing his closest aide forces the prime minister into a significant reset of his Downing Street operation at a moment of heightened instability.
Opposition parties have seized on the scandal, accusing Starmer of poor judgment and weak leadership. Last week, the prime minister issued a public apology to the victims of Epstein, admitting he had failed to understand the depth of Mandelson’s relationship with the disgraced financier and acknowledging his own error in trusting him and approving the appointment.
The controversy has also prompted a rare intervention from royal circles, with Kensington Palace issuing a statement on behalf of the Prince and Princess of Wales expressing deep concern over the revelations and emphasizing that their thoughts remain with the victims, highlighting the wide-reaching impact of the scandal. (AP)