London, Feb 9 (.) British PM Keir Starmer’s top aide, and Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney has resigned from his post amid the cataclysmic political fallout resulting from the release of another batch of the Epstein files, due to the several times the-now disgraced former UK Ambassador to the US Peter Mandleson was referenced in the documents, which shed great light on the unprecedented extent of the late former financier and convicted sex-offender’s crime.
Releasing a statement on Sunday, McSweeney, who is credited with strategising Labour’s landslide victory in the 2024 general election, announced his resignation owing to regret for having personally recommended Mandelson’s appointment.
“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,” McSweeney said, adding “When asked, I advised the prime minister to make that appointment and I take full responsibility for that advice.”
Mandelson was fired in September last year, after emails emerged from a tranche of the Epstein files, highlighting his contact and support for Epstein, while he was facing multiple charges for sex offences.
Furthermore, the latest batch – released early this week – showed that the former MP continued having ties to the disgraced financier well after his conviction in 2008, leading to fresh flurry of angry calls within the UK Labour for handing him such an important role.
According to Starmer, Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein was flagged when he was vetted for the role of ambassador, and had insisted that the former cabinet minister misled him about the depth of their relationship, though this has failed to contain the chaotic mess left after the Mandelson fallout.
Accepting his former aide’s resignation, Starmer thanked McSweeney for his work, saying that “our party and I owe him a debt of gratitude,” without referring Mandelson, though this move has further weakened Starmer’s hold on power, as he is currently becoming one of the UK’s most unpopular support, due to anger both outside, and from within his party, as several MP’s across the board have been calling for the premier’s resignation. . . KK