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

Reform UK councilor David Taylor has announced he is quitting the party over local government plans to increase council tax

The former deputy leader of Worcestershire County Council appeared on BCC Politics Midlands on Sunday (February 8) and made the announcement.

Mr Taylor said: “I walked in here today as a Reform borough councillor, I will not leave this studio as a Reform borough councillor.

“I’ve had a number of issues with council management from a political perspective and from a civil servant perspective. Council tax is one of those issues, I think we could have made decisions earlier and leaving it that late in the day to make cuts and expecting people who are not very well off to pay more council tax, I can’t support that.”

The show’s host asked: “Are you leaving Reform UK?”

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

Morgan McSweeney has resigned as the prime minister’s private secretary amid the US embassy scandal.

Mr McSweeney pressed for Lord Mandelson to be appointed ambassador to the US. In new revelations in the Epstein Files, it was revealed that Mandelson leaked government information to his pedophile friend Jeffrey Epstein.

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

“After careful consideration, I have decided to resign from the government.

The decision to appoint Peter Mandelson was wrong. It damaged the trust in our party, our country, and politics.

When asked, I recommended that the Prime Minister make this appointment and I take full responsibility for that recommendation.

Responsibility in public life should be embraced not only when it is most convenient, but when it is most important. The only honorable action under these circumstances would be to step aside.

This was not 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 prioritizes the lives of ordinary people and guides us to a better future for our great country.

Only a Labor government can do this.

I leave with a mixture of regret for the circumstances of my departure and pride in everything we have accomplished.

But I have always believed that there are moments when you have to accept your responsibility and step aside for a greater purpose. I have two more thoughts as I leave:

First and foremost, we need to remember the women and girls whose lives were destroyed by Jeffrey Epstein and whose voices went unheard for too long.

Second, although I have not overseen the due diligence and review process, I believe it now needs to be fundamentally overhauled. This is not just a gesture, it is an assurance for the future.

I continue to fully support the Prime Minister. He works every day to rebuild trust, restore standards, and serve the country. I will continue to support this mission as much as I can. It has been the honor of my life to serve.”

Conservative Alex Burghart told Trevor Phillips: “I don’t think the Prime Minister would have made the appointment if he had stopped and thought about what he was doing.” Sky News Sunday morning program.

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

Starmer has been accused of failing to listen to Epstein survivors by appointing Peter Mandelson as US ambassador despite knowing he had an ongoing association with pedophilia.

Mr Burghart said the Cabinet Office’s due diligence report had revealed issues with Mandelson’s potential appointment before it was announced, and included concerns about his relationship with Epstein.

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

“He categorically denied knowing about Epstein’s involvement in child prostitution. He would only become aware of it after the court conviction. [in 2008]”

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

Sir Keir’s right-hand man, who is credited with masterminding Labour’s overwhelming election victory in 2024, has resigned from his post.

It comes at a time when the prime minister himself is due to resign over the scandal and is already being perceived as a damage-limitation exercise to save Sir Keir’s premiership.

He was thought to be instrumental in Mandelson’s appointment to the most important diplomatic post; The decision became an embarrassment for the government following recent revelations about Mandelson’s relationship with convicted pedophile and financier Jeffrey Epstein.

David Maddox, political editor of The Independent, reports:

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

When asked by Sky’s Trevor Phillips whether a new anti-corruption commission was a good idea, senior Tory Alex Burghart said: “It depends.” [on] what that commissioner will do, what their powers are and who they are.

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

“In this case, 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 protect you against that.”

Defiant Keir Starmer will try to keep himself front and center in the fight against his beleaguered government next week as calls grow for him to resign over the Mandelson scandal.

But the surprisingly bold move comes as a senior union leader broke ranks, calling on Starmer to resign as Prime Minister and demanding that a growing number of Labor MPs and colleagues face the consequences of his mistakes.

David Maddox, political editor of The Independent, reports:

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

Reports Times On Friday, Ms Rayner allegedly told the prime minister that it would be a mistake to give the job to Lord Mandelson, but was ignored.

Lord Mandelson was sacked over his relationship with disgraced US financier Jeffrey Epstein, and anger in Westminster intensified after the publication of recent documents showing he leaked information to his friend while he was a government minister.

Independent reporter Nicole Wootton-Cane reports:

Sir Keir Starmer faces further backlash after it emerged that deputy prime minister David Lammy had warned the leader against appointing Lord Peter Mandelson as US ambassador because of his links to Jeffrey Epstein.

Lammy’s friends and allies said: Telegram He was against Mandelson’s appointment and was in favor of extending Dame Karen Pierce’s term because of her connections to President Donald Trump’s inner circle.

Mr Starmer is said to be “devastated” by the scandal and is considering whether to remain Prime Minister, according to the publication.