Sir Keir Starmer is delivering a speech in St Leonards about strengthening Britain’s community spirit, all while facing mounting calls from Labour MPs to sack Morgan McSweeney as his chief of staff, and growing pressure on his own premiership over the Lord Mandelson scandal.
The prime minister’s decision to approve the appointment of Lord Mandelson to the role of US ambassador, despite knowing about his links to Jeffrey Epstein, has been met with fury by Labour MPs and seen Sir Keir’s political judgment called into question.
Karl Turner, a Labour MP, said the mood on the backbenches is “dire” and urged Sir Keir to “get rid” of Mr McSweeney, who is believed to have pushed hard for Mandelson’s appointment.
He warned: “If McSweeney is still in 10 Downing Street, the PM is up against it.”
Meanwhile Paula Barker, Labour deputy chairwoman of the Standards Committee and Privileges Committee, criticised Sir Keir’s “questionable” judgment over the saga, adding: “When your chief of staff becomes the story, then often it’s time for them to go.”
Sir Keir will try to distract from the ongoing speculation over his future with a press conference in St Leonards about strengthening Britain’s community spirit, but will likely face tough questions ahead of the release of potentially explosive documents, which provide insight into how the decision to appoint Mandelson was made.
Analysis: Starmer will struggle to keep the focus on his ‘Pride in Place’ scheme as tensions mount
The Independent’s political correspondent Millie Cooke reports from East Sussex, where the prime minister will deliver a crucial press conference:
Sir Keir Starmer is preparing to fight for his political survival in a room that has the energy of a quaint village hall.
With Union Jack bunting hung around the room, and fresh flowers on each table, the prime minister is set to talk about the government’s “pride in place” scheme – a programme aimed at giving power to local people to make changes in their area.
The event had been put in the diary before the crisis over Peter Mandelson reached fever pitch this week.
Cancelling would have been a damning sign of weakness – and dodging the media would have undermined the PM’s calls for transparency.
But pressing ahead with the address is also a gamble – because there is no doubt Starmer will face a barrage of brutal questions from media hacks today, and will struggle to keep the focus on his vision for local communities in Britain.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain5 February 2026 11:11
Sir Keir Starmer is about to start his speech in St Leonards about strengthening Britain’s community spirit.
Our political correspondent Millie Cooke will be feeding in live updates from the speech.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain5 February 2026 11:05
Starmer’s speech shows he’s living in ‘la la land’, says Badenoch
Our political correspondent Athena Stavrou reports:
Kemi Badenoch has accused Sir Keir Starmer of “living in la la land” as he prepares to deliver a speech taking aim at those who seek to sow “division and decline”.
The prime minister is attempting to position himself as the defender of a “decent and tolerant Britain”, amid criticism of his judgement and integrity over his appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador.
“It’s a speech for someone who’s living in la la land,” the Tory leader told LBC.
“If he thinks that he can give another speech where he criticises all the other political parties and says that they’re the best thing around, I think that people are going to give it very short shrift.”
Maryam Zakir-Hussain5 February 2026 11:00
Labour MP John McDonnell has called for a “caretaker leader” to direct a “cleansing” of the party before electing a new leader.
In a lengthy thread on social media, the MP for Hayes and Harlington not only questioned Sir Keir Starmer’s future as prime minister, but also why those in Labour leadership did not challenge Starmer when he appointed Lord Mandelson as US ambassador.
He wrote: “In December 2024 I warned people would think Keir has lost all sense of judgment appointing Mandelson. Where were the senior party figures? Why weren’t they standing up, speaking out?”
He went on: “But simply replacing him with someone who stayed silent at the critical time won’t restore confidence in the party or politics.
“The issue of the influence of wealthy individuals & corporations also goes beyond Mandelson/Epstein. That’s why we may need a caretaker leader specifically appointed for a time limited period to undertake a cleansing of our party & politics before we elect a new leader.”
Maryam Zakir-Hussain5 February 2026 10:55
Labour MP calls for ‘caretaker leader’ to cleanse the party and politics
Labour MP John McDonnell has called for a “caretaker leader” to direct a “cleansing” of the party before electing a new leader.
In a lengthy thread on social media, the MP for Hayes and Harlington not only questioned Sir Keir Starmer’s future as prime minister, but also why those in Labour leadership did not challenge Starmer when he appointed Lord Mandelson as US ambassador.”
He wrote: “In December 2024 I warned people would think Keir has lost all sense of judgment appointing Mandelson. Where were the senior party figures? Why weren’t they standing up, speaking out?”
He went on: “But simply replacing him with someone who stayed silent at the critical time won’t restore confidence in the party or politics.
“The issue of the influence of wealthy individuals & corporations also goes beyond Mandelson/Epstein. That’s why we may need a caretaker leader specifically appointed for a time limited period to undertake a cleansing of our party & politics before we elect a new leader.”
Maryam Zakir-Hussain5 February 2026 10:53
Farage: This is the biggest scandal in British politics in over a century
Our political correspondent Athena Stavrou reports:
Nigel Farage has branded Peter Mandelson’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein the biggest scandal in British politics for “over a century”.
Speaking at a Reform UK rally in Wales, Mr Farage told supports: “Don’t think this scandal is just another political scandal. It isn’t just partygate – it’s bigger.”
He said he suspected Mandelson’s leaking of government emails to Epstein could amount to breaching the Official Secrets Act, and described it as bigger than the Profumo scandal in the early 1960s.
“This involves sex, it involves money, it involves the royal family. It involves the leaking of market sensitive,confidential information.”
He added: “This is the biggest scandal in British politics for over one century.”
Maryam Zakir-Hussain5 February 2026 10:30
‘Time for them to go’: Labour MP says McSweeney’s time is up
Paula Barker, Labour deputy chairwoman of the Standards Committee and Privileges Committee, criticised Sir Keir’s “questionable” judgment over the saga but stopped short of calling for him to quit.
On Mr McSweeney, she told the BBC’s Today programme: “There are serious questions to be answered by his (Sir Keir’s) team.
“And certainly, as we know only too well…, when your chief of staff becomes the story, then often it’s time for them to go.”
Maryam Zakir-Hussain5 February 2026 10:25
No 10 tight lipped on when Mandelson documents will be published
Our Whitehall editor Kate Devlin reports:
It remains unclear how long it will take before we get the first of the Mandelson papers from government.
A request from the Metropolitan Police not to publish documents that risk undermining its criminal investigation into the former Labour peer appears to have complicated the process.
There is frustration within government over this, amid questions over the police response and whether they are overreaching.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain5 February 2026 10:20
‘If McSweeney stays, the PM is up against it’: Karl Turner says
Karl Turner, a Labour MP, said the prime minister is in a “crisis situation” following his admission of knowing about Peter Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein before appointing him as US ambassador.
He told Times Radio this morning: “We can’t pretend this is not a crisis situation, I think it is.
“I think Keir Starmer has got a decision today. My advice to the prime minister, I have to tell you, is get rid of those advisors who have frankly given terrible advice to him over weeks and months.
“The PM needs to deal with that and make a decision. If the PM decides he has to be surrounded by advisers who give him shoddy advice the reality of that is the prime minister is going to have to make a decision about his future some point soon
When pressed on whether Starmer should go if he doesn’t sack his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, Mr Turner said: “If McSweeney continues in Number 10 Downing Street, I think the PM is up against it in a way he doesn’t need to be.”
Maryam Zakir-Hussain5 February 2026 10:10
Analysis: Starmer is facing critical pressure as he fights for survival
The Independent’s political correspondent Millie Cooke reports on the way to the prime minister’s press conference in East Sussex:
Sir Keir Starmer will fight for his political life today, amid growing outrage from Labour MPs over the decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as US ambassador, following revelations about his links with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
The PM is expected to use his address this morning to defend a “decent and tolerant Britain” – a pitch that is likely to ring hollow for MPs who feel that the prime minister failed to defend decency by allowing Mandelson to hold a key job in government.
But the key thing for Starmer today will be to persuade watchers that he was truly lied to by Mandelson after his jarring admission yesterday that he had known about the former US ambassador’s friendship with Epstein before his appointment.
But if he slips up today and muddies the waters even further over what he knew and when, it will only add to the critical pressure he is facing – and could spell the beginning of the end for the PM.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain5 February 2026 09:43
