Sir Keir Starmer is facing calls from Labour MPs to sack Morgan McSweeney as his chief of staff amid growing pressure on his own premiership over the Lord Mandelson scandal.
The prime minister’s decision to approve the appointment of Lord Mandelson to the role of US ambassador, despite knowing about his links to Jeffrey Epstein, has been met with fury by Labour MPs and seen Sir Keir’s political judgment called into question.
Karl Turner, a Labour MP, said the mood on the backbenches is “dire” and urged Sir Keir to “get rid” of Mr McSweeney, who is believed to have pushed hard for Mandelson’s appointment.
He warned: “If McSweeney is still in 10 Downing Street, the PM is up against it.”
Meanwhile Paula Barker, Labour deputy chairwoman of the Standards Committee and Privileges Committee, criticised Sir Keir’s “questionable” judgment over the saga, adding: “When your chief of staff becomes the story, then often it’s time for them to go.”
Sir Keir will try to distract from the ongoing speculation over his future with a press conference in St Leonards about strengthening Britain’s community spirit, but will likely face tough questions ahead of the release of potentially explosive documents, which provide insight into how the decision to appoint Mandelson was made.
Farage: This is the biggest scandal in British politics in over a century
Our political correspondent Athena Stavrou reports:
Nigel Farage has branded Peter Mandelson’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein the biggest scandal in British politics for “over a century”.
Speaking at a Reform UK rally in Wales, Mr Farage told supports: “Don’t think this scandal is just another political scandal. It isn’t just partygate – it’s bigger.”
He said he suspected Mandelson’s leaking of government emails to Epstein could amount to breaching the Official Secrets Act, and described it as bigger than the Profumo scandal in the early 1960s.
“This involves sex, it involves money, it involves the royal family. It involves the leaking of market sensitive,confidential information.”
He added: “This is the biggest scandal in British politics for over one century.”
Maryam Zakir-Hussain5 February 2026 10:30
‘Time for them to go’: Labour MP says McSweeney’s time is up
Paula Barker, Labour deputy chairwoman of the Standards Committee and Privileges Committee, criticised Sir Keir’s “questionable” judgment over the saga but stopped short of calling for him to quit.
On Mr McSweeney, she told the BBC’s Today programme: “There are serious questions to be answered by his (Sir Keir’s) team.
“And certainly, as we know only too well…, when your chief of staff becomes the story, then often it’s time for them to go.”
Maryam Zakir-Hussain5 February 2026 10:25
No 10 tight lipped on when Mandelson documents will be published
Our Whitehall editor Kate Devlin reports:
It remains unclear how long it will take before we get the first of the Mandelson papers from government.
A request from the Metropolitan Police not to publish documents that risk undermining its criminal investigation into the former Labour peer appears to have complicated the process.
There is frustration within government over this, amid questions over the police response and whether they are overreaching.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain5 February 2026 10:20
‘If McSweeney stays, the PM is up against it’: Karl Turner says
Karl Turner, a Labour MP, said the prime minister is in a “crisis situation” following his admission of knowing about Peter Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein before appointing him as US ambassador.
He told Times Radio this morning: “We can’t pretend this is not a crisis situation, I think it is.
“I think Keir Starmer has got a decision today. My advice to the prime minister, I have to tell you, is get rid of those advisors who have frankly given terrible advice to him over weeks and months.
“The PM needs to deal with that and make a decision. If the PM decides he has to be surrounded by advisers who give him shoddy advice the reality of that is the prime minister is going to have to make a decision about his future some point soon
When pressed on whether Starmer should go if he doesn’t sack his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, Mr Turner said: “If McSweeney continues in Number 10 Downing Street, I think the PM is up against it in a way he doesn’t need to be.”
Maryam Zakir-Hussain5 February 2026 10:10
Analysis: Starmer is facing critical pressure as he fights for survival
The Independent’s political correspondent Millie Cooke reports on the way to the prime minister’s press conference in East Sussex:
Sir Keir Starmer will fight for his political life today, amid growing outrage from Labour MPs over the decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as US ambassador, following revelations about his links with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
The PM is expected to use his address this morning to defend a “decent and tolerant Britain” – a pitch that is likely to ring hollow for MPs who feel that the prime minister failed to defend decency by allowing Mandelson to hold a key job in government.
But the key thing for Starmer today will be to persuade watchers that he was truly lied to by Mandelson after his jarring admission yesterday that he had known about the former US ambassador’s friendship with Epstein before his appointment.
But if he slips up today and muddies the waters even further over what he knew and when, it will only add to the critical pressure he is facing – and could spell the beginning of the end for the PM.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain5 February 2026 09:43
Starmer won’t be in power by the next election, Badenoch says
Our political correspondent Athena Stavrou reports:
Kemi Badenoch has said she would be “surprised” if Sir Keir Starmer remained as prime minister until the end of the year.
Asked if she thinks Sir Keir will be sending his Christmas cards form No 10 this year, she said: “I would be surprised.”
She added: “We will have a Labour government until 2029, of that, I’m sure. But yesterday I saw Labour MPs looking really, really ill having to sit behind Keir Starmer.”I don’t think they want him anymore. It’s a matter of when not if.”
Maryam Zakir-Hussain5 February 2026 09:28
Watch: Minister insists Starmer’s position is secure despite growing questions over his judgement
Maryam Zakir-Hussain5 February 2026 09:02
Badenoch: Morgan McSweeney is toast
Our political correspondent Athena Stavrou reports:
Kemi Badenoch has said she would be “amazed” if Sir Keir Starmer’s controversial chief of staff Morgan McSweeney stays in his job.
McSweeney has been blamed by many Labour MPs for pushing for the appointment of his ally Lord Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador to the US in 2024.
“I think Morgan McSweeney is probably toast,” Ms Badenoch told LBC.
“I’m amazed he’s still in the job. He was Peter Mandelson’s protege. He was the one who pushed for this appointment, and must have seen all of the vetting. I’d be amazed if he continued in the job.”
Maryam Zakir-Hussain5 February 2026 08:57
‘Prime minister’s position is secure,’ Steve Reed insists
The prime minister and his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney are safe in their jobs, Steve Reed has insisted.
Asked whether Sir Keir Starmer’s position is secure, the housing secretary told BBC Breakfast: “Of course it is.”
On Sky News, he was pressed on whether Mr McSweeney is safe in his role, after being blamed by many Labour MPs for pushing for the appointment of his ally Lord Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador to the US in 2024.
Mr Reed answered: “Yes, of course he is.”
Maryam Zakir-Hussain5 February 2026 08:50
Cabinet minister blames vetting process for failure to flag true links to Epstein
Steve Reed blamed the vetting process for failing to flag up the extent of Lord Peter Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein before his appointment to the US ambassadorship.
The Cabinet minister told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “The fault is with a long-established process that was gone through in the same way that it would have been for any other appointment of this kind, and it predates the arrival of this Government.
“Clearly, we need to look at that vetting process.
“But decisions can only be taken on the basis of the information available at the time, and Mandelson lied and covered up the extent of his relationship.
“He made out the relationship was over and that it had barely ever existed.
“We now know that was not the case, but the decision was taken at the time on the basis of Mandelson’s experience as the former EU trade commissioner and UK business secretary.
“This information, had it have been known, would have ruled him out completely.”
Maryam Zakir-Hussain5 February 2026 08:40