08/02/2026: Morgan McSweeney Resigns Over Mandelson. Is It Enough?

By George Marshall, University of Warwick

All opinions are those of their respective author, and are not indicative of the stance of EUPS.

It would be right to presume the past week in Number 10 Downing Street has been one of the busiest in Kier Starmer’s tenure. Aides and cabinet officials have rapidly sought to deal with the revelations that former Cabinet Minister and Ambassador to the United States, Peter Mandelson, leaked information that was both confidential and market-sensitive to the notorious paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. 

With Mandelson now under police investigation, a number of calls for Starmer to resign from Labour MPs, and claims that the Prime Minister is “losing sleep” over the matter, a solution was desperately needed to reassure the British public that this scandal was being dealt with assertively in order to take attention off the Prime Minister.  

Over the last twenty-four hours, Morgan McSweeney – Downing Street’s Chief of Staff – resigned, saying in a statement that “I advised the prime minister to make that appointment [of Peter Mandelson], and I take full responsibility for that advice.” Starmer’s response to the resignation was more than cordial, stating that “our party and I owe him a debt of gratitude, and I thank him for his service.” 

For many, including Labour members, the departure of McSweeney was a long time coming, with many long believing that McSweeney had “hoodwinked Labour party members.” But McSweeney’s resignation comes at an already terrible time for the government. The coming days will be vital for Starmer’s survival, and everyone will be asking if the resignation of Starmer’s chief advisor will be enough to settle this growing case. 

The initial reaction to McSweeney’s resignation has certainly been mixed, especially amongst the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP). Whilst some Labour MPs have expressed relief and support saying, “at last…” and expressing their resolve that this will be enough for the PM to stay, many have been more critical of the decision and its timing. 

One Labour MP told Sky News that the resignation “should have been days ago” and former Shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell, noted that people should “remember the old adage: advisers advise, but ministers decide,” suggesting Starmer’s responsibly in this should still be looked at.  

With such mixed reactions, many political commentators and MPs alike are looking beyond the current political impact of this, pointing out that this scandal will continue to pull supporters away from Labour. Oliver Ryan MP echoed this by saying “the hard left and hard right are chuckling & rubbing their hands with glee at all this.” 

On the whole, the initial reactions in the hours after McSweeney’s resignation have not yet had the desired effect Downing Street must be desperately hoping for. Labour MPs are critiquing the slow timing of this, and MPs are calling for Starmer’s responsibility for the appointment to still be examined. Amongst Whitehall, the expectation is being set out: prime ministers should take responsibility for the decisions they make, as the Work and Pensions Secretary said on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips. Starmer is still largely under immense pressure. 

If the Prime Minister can make it out of this over the next few days, the damage it will have caused at a pivotal time will be something the government will have to reckon with in the approach to the local elections in May.  

For now, much of Starmer’s survival and success in the next few weeks relies on what is revealed in the files relating to Mandelson’s appointment which Starmer proposed to release in last week’s PMQs. Commentators and MPs will have all eyes on whether Downing Street and the PM chose to ignore information found in the vetting of Mandelson – now McSweeney is gone, Starmer may not have anyone to take the blame.  

Amongst the British public, its certain this Mandelson affair will continue to weaken Starmer’s credibility. Parties on both the left and the right are already using Starmer’s appointment of Mandelson to their advantage. Hannah Spencer, the Green Party’s candidate in the Gorton and Denton by-election, has said that ‘damaging’ scandal highlights that the people of Gorton and Denton have a choice to “make things better” in the upcoming by-election. Nigel Farage has said that the decision to appoint Mandelson was “seriously wrong” and made clear that the Prime Minister should immediately stand down. 

This latest episode of the Mandelson fiasco has left the Prime Minister in a dangerously unstable position. He will remain on that unstable ledge for the next few days. Whilst it’s too early to call if the resignation of McSweeney will take attention off the PM, one thing is clear: many Labour MPs have not responded to this well, with many saying we must look at where the buck stops – the Prime Minister. 

As Mandelson and his crimes continue to haunt past and present officials, Number 10 is facing its biggest PR crisis in Starmer’s tenure. With no Chief of Staff for a temporary period and a divided PLP, even the most loyal of Starmer loyalists will be questioning if Downing Street will be successful in securing the Prime Minister’s survival? 

06/02/2026: The Mandelson Files: A Test of Labour’s Moral Compass

By Tommy Hill, University of SOAS

All opinions are those of their respective author, and are not indicative of the stance of EUPS.

As the Met launches an investigation into misconduct, we must face the uncomfortable reality: integrity has no party colours.

The latest revelations from the Epstein files have dominated the 24-hour newscycle and sent a tremor through the foundations of the British establishment. For those of us in the Labour Party, the resignation of Peter Mandelson from the House of Lords and the party he helped modernise through the New Labour project is a profound moment of reckoning.

The details from the latest release are, frankly, stomach-churning. The ties between Mandelson and Epstein are no longer mere social associations, which would be awkward but not criminal, but instead specific financial transactions totalling $75,000. Perhaps more damning was the accusation that he shared sensitive government information regarding the 2008 financial crisis, with a sex offender, to benefit his financial manoeuvring.

If we are to be the party of “Change” that was promised, we have to continue to restore trust in politics after the chaos of the previous 14 years of Tory rule, and apply the highest of standards to our own. When the Prime Minister told the House this week he felt “betrayed”, he echoed the sentiments of thousands of members who knocked on doors campaigning for a fairer society, not a world where access is sold to those who pay for it.

This is where the issue transcends party lines and becomes non-partisan. The crisis we face isn’t just about Peter Mandelson; it is the power of unaccountable wealth in our democracy. The files released suggest a world where a billionaire pedophile could allegedly receive tips on bank bailouts and euro stability before the public knew a thing. That is not a “Labour scandal” or a “Tory scandal”, it is a failure of the British state to insulate itself from foreign interference.

Mandelson’s reputation is in the gutter, and it is a tragedy of his own making, but the splatter hits all of us. If the allegations of leaking market-sensitive data are true, it is a breach of public trust and a mockery of the concept of public service.

So, what should we do going forward?

First, we must cooperate fully with the Met’s investigation. There should be no protecting Mandelson. If our Labour Party is to mean anything, it should stand for the rule of law, even when it is knocking at our own door. Second, we need a robust, cross-party inquiry into lobbying and access. We need to know who else knew what, and when.

To my fellow Labour members: it is painful to see a titan of our history fall in such disgrace. But our loyalty must be to our values, not to individuals. We demanded high standards of service from the Conservatives when they were in power, so it is only fair to demand the absolute best from ourselves now.