U.K. leader’s chief of staff quits over hiring of Epstein friend as U.S. ambassador : NPR
Downing Street Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney arrives at Downing Street on October 6, 2025 in London, England.
Leon Neal/Getty Images
hide caption
toggle caption
Leon Neal/Getty Images
LONDON — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s chief of staff resigned Sunday amid furor over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador to the United States, despite his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
Morgan McSweeney said he had taken responsibility for advising Starmer to appoint Mandelson, 72, to Britain’s most senior diplomatic post in 2024.
“The decision to nominate Peter Mandelson was wrong. He damaged our party, our country and the trust in politics itself,” McSweeney said in a statement. “When asked, I advised the Prime Minister to make this appointment and I take full responsibility for this advice.”
Starmer is facing a political firestorm and questions over his judgment after newly released documents, part of a huge trove of Epstein files made public in the United States, suggest Mandelson sent market-sensitive information to the convicted sex offender while he was British government business secretary during the 2008 financial crisis.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, right, speaks with British Ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson during a welcome reception at the ambassador’s residence Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in Washington.
Carl Court/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Carl Court/AP
The Starmer government has promised to release its own emails and other documents related to Mandelson’s appointment, which it says will show Mandelson misled officials.
Mandelson, a former minister, ambassador and statesman for the ruling Labor Party, has not been arrested or charged.
Metropolitan Police officers searched Mandelson’s London home and another property linked to him on Friday. Police said the investigation was complex and would require “a significant amount of additional evidence and analysis.”
Starmer had fired Mandelson as ambassador in September due to earlier revelations about his links to Epstein. But critics say emails recently released by the US Justice Department have highlighted serious concerns about Starmer’s ruling. They argue that he should have been wiser not to name Mandelson in the first place.
