Closing summary
Thank you for following the Guardian’s live blog on Morgan McSweeney’s resignation.
Our live coverage has now ended. Here’s an overview of everything that happened today:
Morgan McSweeney resigned from his role of chief of staff to the prime minister after reportedly pushing for Peter Mandelson’s appointment as UK ambassador to the US in 2024 despite his known ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
In his resignation statement, McSweeney said: “When asked, I advised the prime minister to make that appointment and I take full responsibility for that advice. In public life responsibility must be owned when it matters most, not just when it is most convenient. In the circumstances, the only honourable course is to step aside.”
Reacting to his chief of staff’s departure, Keir Starmer said in a statement: “It’s been an honour working with Morgan McSweeney for many years. He turned our party around after one of its worst ever defeats and played a central role running our election campaign. It is largely thanks to his dedication, loyalty and leadership that we won a landslide majority and have the chance to change the country.”
Starmer appointed Jill Cuthbertson and Vidhya Alakeson as acting chiefs of staff, with immediate effect. Both served as deputy chiefs of staff since 2024.
The Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said Starmer should also “take responsibility” for his actions. In a post on X, Badenoch wrote: “It’s about time. But once again with this PM it’s somebody else’s fault: ‘Mandelson lied to me’ or ‘Morgan advised me’.” She added: “Keir Starmer has to take responsibility for his own terrible decisions. But he never does.”
Liberal Democrat deputy leader, Daisy Cooper, said the prime minister can “change his advisers all he likes”, but added that “the buck stops with him”. She wrote on X: “We need to see an end to this political soap opera, with answers for the British public and, most importantly, justice for the victims and survivors of Epstein and his network.”
Zack Polanski, the leader of the Green party, called for Starmer to step down, saying McSweeney’s resignation was necessary “but not sufficient”.
Several Labour MPs also urged Starmer to consider stepping down after McSweeney’s resignation. Among them was Ian Byrne, who said the prime minister “must now reflect honestly on his own position and ask whether, for the good of the country and the Labour party, he should follow” McSweeney’s lead.
Kim Johnson, the Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside, also warned that McSweeney’s resignation will not protect the prime minister, adding that Starmer’s position is “untenable”.
Other Labour MPs spoke out in Starmer’s defence. They included Natalie Fleet, the Labour MP for Bolsover, who told LBC “we have never had a prime minister that cares as much about violence against women and girls” as he does.
John Slinger, Rugby’s Labour MP, urged Labour to “rally behind the prime minister”. He said: “We don’t ditch a leader just because the going gets tough.”
Updated
Natalie Fleet, the Labour MP for Bolsover, has defended Keir Starmer, saying “we have never had a prime minister that cares as much about violence against women and girls” as he does.
As a reminder, Morgan McSweeney resigned after he reportedly pushed for Peter Mandelson to be appointed UK ambassador to the US despite his known ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
Amid growing calls for Starmer to step down, including from Labour MPs, Fleet told LBC:
This is a man that cares deeply and is absolutely determined to use the full force of the state so that we can do everything that we can to eradicate violence against women and girls.
I want him to stay in post. … He has my absolute full support.
