Keir Starmer confronts mounting pressure to secure his leadership amid criticism of his handling of the Peter Mandelson scandal. Veteran Labour figure Harriet Harman describes the Prime Minister’s response as “weak and naive and gullible.”
Calls for Staff Changes Intensify
Politicians demand the dismissal of Starmer’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, while others question the Prime Minister’s judgment in appointing Mandelson as ambassador to the US last year. Starmer maintains that “none of us knew the depth of the darkness” in Mandelson’s ties to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Police Probe Market-Sensitive Leak Allegations
Authorities investigate claims that Mandelson, who has resigned from the House of Lords, shared market-sensitive information with Epstein during his tenure as Business Secretary after the 2008 financial crisis.
Labour MP Voices Frustration
Simon Opher, a Labour MP and general practitioner, highlights widespread anger among party members. “Keir Starmer needs to change his advisers in Number 10. He’s being badly advised and really let down,” Opher states. “We need a bit of a clear out. If my chief of staff had done this he would be looking for another job.”
Opher adds, “Keir may have things to answer but mainly he’s been very poorly advised. We want a fresh new start and to get on with the day-to-day of actually improving the country. This is a question of getting Number 10 properly functioning.”
