Jeffrey Epstein-Peter Mandelson row: Starmer must take responsibility - not McSweey, say unionists

​Morgan McSweeney today resigned as Sir Keir Starmer's chief of staff after coming under fire in the scandal.

Mr McSweeney 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.

Lord Mandelson was Northern Ireland secretary from 1999 to 2001.

The Epstein scandal has also embroiled former US senator George Mitchell, who chaired the talks for the 1998 Belfast Agreement.

The loss of his long-time advisor 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.

Sir Keir credited Mr McSweeney's “dedication, loyalty and leadership” for Labour's 2024 general election win and said he owed him a “debt of gratitude” in a statement that did not mention the Lord Mandelson fiasco.

In his exit statement, Mr McSweeney said the decision to appoint Lord Mandelson to the job was “wrong”, and that he took “full responsibility” for advising Sir Keir to go ahead.

He also called for an overhaul of vetting procedures, which apparently failed to disprove what No 10 has called Mandelson's “lies” about barely knowing Epstein.

A DUP spokesman said the fallout from the Mandelson appointment continues.

He added: “The devastating impact on the government deepens; as does the ongoing damage to their credibility and trust. Responsibility cannot rest with an advisor.”

North Antrim TUV MP Jim Allister dismissed the move, saying the responsibility lies with the prime minister.

He said: “Morgan McSweeney’s departure is no surprise, but it does not alter the fact that the decision maker was the PM. Irrespective of who advised him, Sir Keir Starmer made the fateful and the utterly flawed decision to appoint Mandelson.

“Thus, his judgment remains exposed as disastrous. McSweeney may be the scapegoat, but Starmer should take responsibility for his own decision and resign.”

UUP leader Jon Burrows said Mr McSweeney’s departure may buy Keir Starmer some time “but changes nothing”. He added: “The prime minister can reshuffle advisors as much as he likes, but it won’t distract from his own catastrophic lapse in judgment over the Mandelson appointment.

“On numerous occasions, this prime minister has shown a lack of judgment and instinct, resulting in policy U-turn after U-turn; a tipping point has now been reached. Public trust in this government is already crumbling; the only question now is how much longer this house of cards can stand.”

Lord Mandelson was sacked last year over his relationship with notorious paedophile Epstein, but anger in Westminster has intensified after the latest release of documents showed he leaked information to his friend while he was a government minister.

Mr McSweeney said: “When asked, I advised the prime minister to make that appointment and I take full responsibility for that advice.”

Sir Keir said: “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.”

Labour pressure group Mainstream said “all those involved in the disastrous appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US must be held to account”.

However, Starmer ally John Slinger MP said people from across the country had told him “the last thing the country needs is leadership speculations”.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said on X: “Keir Starmer has to take responsibility for his own terrible decisions. But he never does.”

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said “my money says Starmer won't be far behind after Labour's disaster in the elections this coming May.”