UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer talks with members of the audience after delivering a speech at Horntye Park Sports Complex, in St Leonards-on-Sea, south east England, on February 5, 2026.
PETER NICHOLLS / POOL / AFP
Labour MPs insist that “the buck stops at the top”—that is, with the prime minister himself.
Morgan McSweeney, Keir Starmer’s (now former) chief of staff, tried to protect his boss’ position when resigning on Sunday, saying he took “full responsibility” for advising the prime minister to appoint his—that is, McSweeney’s—political mentor (and key ‘New Labour’ figure) Peter Mandelson to the role of U.S. ambassador despite knowing about Mandelson’s ties to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
But this isn’t washing even with Labour MPs. After all, Starmer made the final decision to appoint Mandelson, and did so knowing that he had remained friendly with Epstein after his conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor.
One such MP, Brian Leishman, said on Sunday that Starmer “must consider following McSweeney’s lead one last time and doing the same.”
Another, Jon Trickett, said: “The buck stops at the top, and the PM needs to reflect carefully on his judgement about appointing both Mandelson and McSweeney.”
Indeed, journalist Tim Shipman has suggested that McSweeney’s resignation might have even made Starmer’s removal from office more likely, writing in The Spectator:
Once MPs have a taste for blood they are seldom sated by their first taste of it, still less by the blood of advisers, however mightily. Who will be blamed if Labour loses the Gorton and Denton by-election now? Starmer. Who will be in the firing line if Labour performs as badly as expected in May’s elections? Starmer.
According to polling unveiled by YouGov last Thursday, 50% of Britons now say that Starmer “should stand down and be replaced by a new Labour leader and prime minister.” Less than a quarter of those polled said his premiership should continue.
By 50% to 24%, Britons say Keir Starmer should step down as prime minister
2024 Labour voters are split, with 37% wanting him to stand down and 40% wanting him to stay
Further pressure mounted on the PM on Monday morning after his chief of communications, Tim Allan, also stepped down from his post, “to allow a new No. 10 team to be built.” His WhatsApp profile picture now reads: “Out of Office: Gone Golfing.”
Starmer’s national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, who was also part of the decision to appoint Mandelson, is expected to go next.
Michael Curzon is a news writer for europeanconservative.com based in England’s Midlands. He is also Editor of Bournbrook Magazine, which he founded in 2019, and previously wrote for London’s Express Online. His Twitter handle is @MichaelCurzon_.
