Mandelson-Starmer latest: Morgan McSweeney resigns as PM’s chief of staff over US ambassador scandal – UK Times

Reform UK councillor David Taylor announced he is quitting the party over his local authority’s plans to raise council tax

The former deputy leader of Worcestershire County Council appeared on BCC Politics Midlands on Sunday (8 February), where he made his announcement.

Mr Taylor said: “I walked in here today as a Reform county councillor, I won’t be leaving this studio as a Reform county councillor.

“I’ve had several issues with the running of the council from a political perspective and from an officer perspective. Council tax is one of those issues, I think we could have made decisions sooner and I think leaving it this late in the day to make cuts and to expect people who are already not doing so well to pay more council tax, I just can’t support that.”

The show’s presenter asked:“You are quitting Reform UK?”

Mr Taylor replied: “As from today I will be an independent county councillor.”

Morgan McSweeney has resigned as the prime minister’s chief of staff over the US ambassador scandal.

Mr McSweeney pushed for Lord Mandelson to be appointed as the ambassador to the US. In new revelations of the Epstein Files it has been found that Mandelson leaked government information to his paedophile friend Jeffrey Epstein.

Below is Mr McSweeney’s resignation letter to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, in full:

“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.”

Tory Alex Burghart said: “I think if the prime minister had stopped to think about what he was doing, he would not have made the appointment.”, he told Trevor Phillips on Sky News’s Sunday Morning programme.

“And we now know that all of the evidence was in front of him, or enough evidence was in front of him when he made the appointment.”

Starmer is being accused of not listening to Epstein survivors by appointing peter Mandelson as ambassador the US, despite knowing he had an ongoing relationship with the peadeophile.

Mr Burghart referred to reports that the Cabinet Office’s due diligence report had showcased issues with Mandelson’s potential appointment before it was announced, which included concerns about his relationship with Epstein.

“I don’t know what Peter Mandelson did or didn’t know,” Burghart said.

“He certainly denied that he knew about Epstein’s dealings with you know child prostitution. But he would have known after the court conviction [in 2008].”

Morgan McSweeney has resigned as the Downing Street chief of staff over his role in the appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador, in what could be a fatal blow to Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership.

Sir Keir’s right-hand man, who was credited with masterminding Labour’s landslide election victory in 2024, has stepped down from the role.

It comes amid mounting on the prime minister himself to quit over the scandal and is already being perceived as a damage limitation exercise to save Sir Keir’s premiership.

He was seen as instrumental in the appointment of Mandelson to the most important diplomatic post, a decision which has become an embarrassment for the government following the latest revelations about his relationship with convicted paedophile and financier Jeffrey Epstein.

The Independent’s political editor David Maddox reports:

Gordon Brown, who brought Peter Mandelson back into government in 2008, has been speaking out about his former business secretary, and calling for new anti-corruption measures to prevent the leaking of documents from government, which Mandelson is accused of doing.

Senior Tory Alex Burghart was asked if if a new anti-corruption commission would be a good idea, by Sky’s Trevor Phillips and he responded: “It depends [on] what that commissioner would do, what their powers were, and who they were.

“I think it’s very easy for politicians to, in a moment like this, say, ‘if there was only one additional role then everything would be fine’.

“What’s happened in this instance is that the prime minister had a clear choice, he had clear information, and he made a bad decision.

“And ultimately, there’s nothing that can really guard you against that.”

A defiant Keir Starmer is going to try to put himself front and centre of his beleaguered government’s fightback next week as calls grow for him to resign over the Mandelson scandal.

But the surprisingly bold move comes as a senior trade union leader broke ranks to call on Starmer to quit as PM, joining a growing number of Labour MPs and peers in demanding that he faces the consequences of his mistakes.

The Independent’s political editor David Maddox reports:

Angela Rayner reportedly warned Sir Keir Starmer not to appoint Lord Mandelson as US ambassador over concerns about his relationship with Epstein.

Reports in The Times on Friday suggested Ms Rayner had told the prime minister it would be a mistake to hand Lord Mandelson the position, but was ignored.

Lord Mandelson was fired over his relationship with the disgraced US financier Jeffrey Epstein, and anger in Westminster has intensified after the latest release of documents, which indicated he leaked information to his friend while he was a government minister.

The Independent reporter, Nicole Wootton-Cane reports:

The reason Lord Peter Mandelson was appointed ambassador to the US was because he was seen as a skilled political operator with the administration of Donald Trump, Pat McFadden said.

“In the end the judgment was, they were looking for someone who could operate at the highest political level with the Trump administration, who knew business, who knew trade”, the work and pensions secretary told Sky News.

“Now that turns out to have been the wrong decision, and it’s blown up in the most spectacular manner. But it’s important for your viewers to understand why on earth was this appointment made in the first place, and that is the reason.”

At the time Mr McFadden said much of the media praised the appointment, adding: “He wasn’t plucked from obscurity or disgrace.”

Sir Keir Starmer is facing further backlash as it emerged that deputy prime minister David Lammy warned the leader about appointing Lord Peter Mandelson as US ambassador amid his links to Jeffrey Epstein.

Friends and allies of Lammy told the Telegraph he had been against the appointment of Mandelson and in favour of an extension of Dame Karen Pierce’s term in the role due to her connections to President Donald Trump’s inner circle.

Mr Starmer is said to be “devastated” over the scandal and contemplating whether to stay as PM, according to the publication.