Keir Starmer 'in real jeopardy' after 'extraordinary' Morgan McSweeney resignation: 'It's a disaster'

Morgan McSweeney has resigned as Keir Starmer's Chief of Staff after accepting "full responsibility" for advising on the appointment of Lord Mandelson.

In a statement, he 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."

Delivering his assessment of the resignation on GB News, Christopher said: "This is extraordinary. I know that he was not planning to go when I was in touch with him on Friday, and for him to go now is extraordinary.

"Last Wednesday, the Prime Minister said that he had full confidence in Morgan McSweeney. He said then that Morgan McSweeney was a central part of the Keir Starmer operation. If he's not central now, what has changed in the past 48 hours? If it was a crisis on Friday, it's a full blown Defcon 5 crisis now for this Government."

He stressed: "To lose Morgan McSweeney, the man who frankly is the political beating heart of Keir Starmer. Keir Starmer lacks the basic political know-how I think sometimes navigate these situations. He knows the voters, he knows the groups who can he can easily get to in order to win the next election.

"To lose Morgan McSweeney is a disaster. To the Prime Minister, frankly, he was the fire guard, stopping people going after his job. With Morgan McSweeney gone, he is in now in real, real jeopardy."

Asked by host Dawn Neesom whether the resignation will come as a "surprise" to Sir Keir, Christopher agreed: "I think he has been surprised, and I certainly am, given what I was hearing on Friday from him and others, I didn't think it would be so quickly.

"But clearly he takes personal responsibility for what happened there with Peter Mandelson. He's hoping now, I'm sure, that by leaving in this way, that means the issue has gone away, that we can move on now and listen to what the PM has to say about the issues he cares about, which is the cost of living crisis. But I fear that won't be the case, I think it's not going to be open season."

He continued: "The question is, is this enough to stop the bleeding? Is it enough to stop the flow of political capital away from No10. What happens next? Will any cabinet ministers make a move on the PM? That could happen as soon as tomorrow.

"It's an extraordinary time now, I think of a crisis I didn't see coming this quickly and certainly obviously huge regrets over the appointment of Peter Mandelson. The fury that I saw from the Prime Minister on Thursday in Hastings at that speech, he spat the word Mandelson out with venom.

"And so different to the Peter he warmly welcomed this ambassador just a year ago when I was with him in the residence in Washington with the Labour Party then. So it is a surprise, I think it he's so important for PM, I think he would have done all he could to keep him, but it clearly wasn't enough.

"And now, without Morgan McSweeney, frankly, Sir Keir Starmer is adrift, I think, in a rudderless No10."

As Dawn suggested that the "knives will be out" for Sir Keir following Mr McSweeney's exit, Christopher said: "I expect they will be. I think because he was the fire guard, as long as Morgan McSweeney was there, the PM wasn't going to stand down.

"These guys are writing the first line of their obituaries every single day. He'll always be known as the former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, they never want to end that sooner than they have to. They would cling on as long as they can? I don't think we're there yet with Sir Keir Starmer.

"I can't see the candidates to replace him. I can't see why Angela Rayner can do it. How could she possibly to be Prime Minister having been kicked out of that role as Housing Secretary, Deputy PM five months ago? I can't see how that happens.

"Wes Streeting, I can't see how he's acceptable because he was linked to Peter Mandelson. So if you take out Wes Streeting and Angela Rayner, who's left? Could it be a caretaker like Pat McFadden? Could it be John Healey? I can't see them as leaders. So I think what's holding the PM in office at the moment, frankly, is a lack of anyone who can replace him."