Close-up of the door to Number 10 Downing Street.

“I take full responsibility”: Kingmaker McSweeney Resigns Following Mandelson Fallout

By Oskar Hyams In the early afternoon of Sunday, February 8th, 2026, Morgan McSweeney resigned as Keir Starmer’s Chief of Staff, “after careful reflection,” following his role in the appointment of Peter Mandelson as Ambassador to the United States. This appointment created a political firestorm following the unearthing of Mandelson’s close relationship with sex-offender Jeffrey Epstein (with whom he shared internal government information during the … Continue reading “I take full responsibility”: Kingmaker McSweeney Resigns Following Mandelson Fallout