Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff has quit Downing Street as the Government continues to reel from the Peter Mandelson scandal.
Morgan McSweeney, who has been Sir Keir’s closest aide for nearly six years, today resigned after pushing for the appointment of Lord Mandelson as US ambassador.
In a statement, Mr McSweeney admitted that naming the disgraced peer as Britain’s top diplomat in Washington DC was ‘wrong’.
He said he was taking ‘full responsibility’ for advising the Prime Minister to do so, adding: ‘In the circumstances, the only honourable course is to step aside.’
Sir Keir is facing the worst crisis of his 18-month premiership following fresh revelations about Lord Mandelson’s friendship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Many Labour MPs have been openly questioning Sir Keir’s chances of remaining in Downing Street amid the scandal that has engulfed his Government.
A number of backbenchers had demanded the scalp of Mr McSweeney – viewed as a ‘mentee’ of Lord Mandelson – as they hit out at No10’s decision to appoint the ex-Cabinet minister as US ambassador.
Sir Keir has now lost two chiefs of staff during his time in Downing Street, following the exit of Sue Gray in October 2024.
The loss of Mr McSweeney, who was the architect of Sir Keir’s general election victory, is a further shattering blow to the PM’s increasingly fragile grip on power.
Mr McSweeney played a key role in Sir Keir’s success in taking Labour from opposition to Government after he replaced Jeremy Corbyn as leader in April 2020.
It had previously been speculated that, due to the pair’s closeness, Mr McSweeney’s departure from No10 would only come if accompanied by Sir Keir’s own exit.
Morgan McSweeney, Keir Starmer’s chief of staff, has resigned from government
Mr McSweeney’s resignation will be seen as a desperate last bid by Sir Keir to keep himself in power, with Angela Rayner – the former deputy PM – said to be on leadership ‘manoeuvres’.
In his resignation statement, the outgoing No10 chief of staff said: ‘After careful reflection, I have decided to resign from the Government.
‘The decision to appoint Peter Mandelson was wrong. He has damaged our party, our country and trust in politics itself.
‘When asked, I advised the Prime Minister to make that appointment and I take full responsibility for that advice.
‘In public life responsibility must be owned when it matters most, not just when it is most convenient. In the circumstances, the only honourable course is to step aside. This has not been an easy decision.
‘Much has been written and said about me over the years but my motivations have always been simple: I have worked every day to elect and support a Government that puts the lives of ordinary people first and leads us to a better future for our great country.
‘Only a Labour Government will do that. I leave with pride in all we have achieved mixed with regret at the circumstances of my departure.
‘But I have always believed there are moments when you must accept your responsibility and step aside for the bigger cause.
‘As I leave I have two further reflections: Firstly, and most importantly, we must remember the women and girls whose lives were ruined by Jeffrey Epstein and whose voices went unheard for far too long.
‘Secondly, while I did not oversee the due diligence and vetting process, I believe that process must now be fundamentally overhauled. This cannot simply be a gesture but a safeguard for the future.
‘I remain fully supportive of the Prime Minister. He is working every day to rebuild trust, restore standards and serve the country.
‘I will continue to back that mission in whatever way I can. It has been the honour of my life to serve.’
More to follow…
