Morgan McSweeney, chief of staff to left-wing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, resigned this Sunday (8) for his role in appointing Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States, following revelations of the Epstein case. New documents released by the US Department of Justice show that Mandelson, 72, who was removed from Britain’s top diplomatic post last September, had years of ties to financier and convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
“The decision to appoint Peter Mandelson (in February 2025) was wrong. It harmed our party, our country and confidence in politics itself,” said McSweeney, until then Downing Street’s top advisor and considered the architect of Starmer’s electoral victory in the July 2024 general election. “When I was consulted, I advised the Prime Minister to make this appointment and I take full responsibility for it”, he added, in a statement.
The Labor activist, whose resignation has been demanded in recent days even by some of his supporters, said he continues to support the prime minister and that he “works every day to rebuild trust, restore public standards and serve the United Kingdom.”
McSweeney also recognized in his note that it is necessary to improve the selection process for public positions and asked to remember, above all, the victims of Epstein, who died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial for child trafficking.
Pressure
In recent days, numerous Labor deputies have called for the resignation of the influential activist, whom they blame for making a catastrophic mistake in defending the appointment of former minister Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington, when his relationship with the American pedophile was already known.
Police are currently investigating the former European Trade Commissioner to determine whether he committed a crime by leaking confidential information from the government of then Labor Prime Minister Gordon Brown to Epstein in 2009.
The independent Scottish National Party (SNP) and the Green Party, as well as politicians from all parties, also called for Starmer’s resignation, who last Friday guaranteed that he will remain in office to fulfill his mandate.
According to a survey by the Opinium institute released this Sunday, 55% of Britons believe that the prime minister should resign, although several ministers have come to his defense and, presumably, Downing Street hopes that McSweeney’s departure will protect him for the time being in office.
On Wednesday (4), the British Prime Minister admitted that he was aware of the links maintained by former minister and former ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson with financier Jeffrey Epstein when he appointed him to the diplomatic post in Washington. The statement was made during the weekly question session with the Prime Minister in Parliament, according to information from the newspaper The Guardian.
“He repeatedly lied to my team when questioned about his relationship with Epstein before and during his time as ambassador,” Starmer said, according to the Guardian. The prime minister also said that he regrets the appointment and stated that, if he had known what came to light later, Mandelson “would never have come close to the government”.
