Keir Starmer's chief of staff Morgan McSweeney resigns over Mandelson scandal as Prime Minister clings on to power

The news will come as a blow to Sir Keir, whose own political future has been thrown into jeopardy amid questions of his judgment in picking Lord Mandelson as his top diplomat in Washington.

In a statement, Mr McSweeney said: "After careful reflection, I have decided to resign from the government. The decision to appoint Peter Mandelson was wrong."

Mr McSweeney continued: "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."

Reacting to the move, the Prime Minister thanked Morgan McSweeney for “his dedication, loyalty and leadership”.

"It’s been an honour working with Morgan McSweeney for many years. He turned our party around after one of its worst ever defeats and played a central role running our election campaign.

"It is largely thanks to his dedication, loyalty and leadership that we won a landslide majority and have the chance to change the country.

"Having worked closely with Morgan in opposition and in government, I have seen every day his commitment to the Labour Party and to our country.

"Our party and I owe him a debt of gratitude, and I thank him for his service," the Prime Minister said.

Reacting to the announcement, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said: "As predicted McSweeney has gone. Labour are just continuing the chaos we saw under the Tories.

"My money says Starmer won’t be far behind after Labour’s disaster in the elections this coming May," he said.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said: "It’s about time. But once again with this PM it’s somebody else’s fault: 'Mandelson lied to me'or 'Morgan advised me'.

"Keir Starmer has to take responsibility for his own terrible decisions. But he never does," she added.

The decision comes just hours after Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Pat McFadden said that there was no point in the departure of Mr McSweeney “if the Prime Minister stays”.

Defending Sir Keir's position in No10 this morning, Mr McFadden told GB News: "He's got a five-year term. That's why he was voted in.

"We can't run the country through some opinion polls, or we've been losing prime ministers, even more frequently than we have in recent years, and I think we should put the trend and maybe keep one for a few years."

Mogan McSweeney had faced intensifying calls from within the Labour Party to go after being blamed by many for pushing the appointment of his ally Lord Mandelson as ambassador to the US, despite knowing that his dealings with Jeffrey Epstein continued after the financier’s conviction for child sex offences.

The Prime Minister was forced to sack Lord Mandelson from the role in September last year as further details about Lord Mandelson's relationship with the late paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein came to light.

This scrutiny was intensified after Lord Mandelson was placed under investigation over allegations of leaking market-sensitive No10 documents to Epstein during the 2008 financial crisis, based on files released by the US Department of Justice in the last week.

On Friday night, police raided Lord Mandelson’s homes in Camden and Wiltshire as part of an inquiry into alleged misconduct in public office.

As such, the Prime Minister’s right-hand man had faced intensifying calls from within the Labour Party to go as the scandal continues to rumble on.

In his statement, Mr McSweeney said the decision had “not been an easy” one and defended his record, insisting his motivation had always been 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”.

"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," the address continued.

"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," Mr McSweeney concluded.

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