UK’s Starmer scrambles to limit Epstein fallout as aides quit

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was scrambling to shore up his premiership on Monday, as another top aide quit and he prepared to face lawmakers furious that his government has become embroiled in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. The Labour leader, in office for 19 months, is facing calls from opposition politicians to resign over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador, despite knowing he had maintained links to Epstein after the sex offender was convicted in 2008. In a fresh setback, Starmer’s communications chief Tim Allan quit just months into the role, the day after his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, also resigned for advising Starmer to make the contentious Mandelson appointment.

McSweeney’s departure deprives the beleaguered UK leader of his closest adviser. Allan said in a short statement that he wanted “to allow a new No.10 team to be built”, referring to the prime minister’s 10 Downing Street office. The embattled prime minister was due to address Labour MPs later Monday in a crunch meeting.

“Advisers advise, leaders decide. He made a bad decision, he should take responsibility for that,” Conservative opposition leader Kemi Badenoch told BBC radio, calling Starmer’s position “untenable”. The fallout from the appointment of Mandelson, sparked by emails showing that he remained friends with Epstein long after the latter’s conviction in 2008, is the most serious crisis of Starmer’s time in power.

[paywall]

Several backbench Labour MPs, mostly from the left of the party who have never warmed to Starmer’s centrist tilt, have suggested that Starmer should follow McSweeney out of the exit door. But a number of leading figures have defended him, as no clear successor has emerged, and with the party facing key local elections in May.

[/paywall]