British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s communications director stepped down on Monday, shortly after the resignation of his chief of staff, amid ongoing fallout from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.
Tim Allan, who previously served under Tony Blair’s government, was brought on board in September to bolster Starmer’s struggling administration but decided to resign on Monday.
“I have chosen to resign to allow for the formation of a new team at No. 10. I wish the Prime Minister and his team all the best,” he remarked in a statement.
His departure followed that of Morgan McSweeney, who resigned on Sunday, taking “full responsibility” for advising the Prime Minister to appoint Peter Mandelson—a known Tony Blair associate—as ambassador to the U.S., despite Mandelson’s ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
This appointment faced increased scrutiny recently after the U.S. Department of Justice destroyed a set of documents revealing communications between Epstein and Mandelson.
Mandelson allegedly used his former government role to leak sensitive information to Epstein during the 2008 financial crisis, as outlined by released documents. The long-time spin doctor referred to Epstein as his “best friend” and reportedly received around $75,000 from him.
In a challenging session during Prime Minister’s Questions last week, Starmer admitted he was aware of Mandelson’s ongoing friendship with Epstein even after his conviction related to child prostitution.
The Prime Minister has attempted to hold Mandelson accountable for allegedly deceiving about the extent of his relationship with Epstein, as well as criticizing security services for not properly vetting the political figure. However, McSweeney ultimately made the decision to resign.
McSweeney, a significant player in Starmer’s rise to leadership while excluding left-wing supporters tied to Jeremy Corbyn, was previously deemed by Starmer as “indispensable.” With his exit, Starmer not only loses a key ally but reportedly also his final significant strategic option before potentially stepping down.
Recent reports suggest that Starmer had second thoughts about McSweeney due to fears of mass disclosures of WhatsApp messages and emails exchanged between McSweeney and Mandelson, which could further embarrass the government by exposing their connection.
It remains unclear whether McSweeney’s resignation will be enough to shield Starmer from backlash. The Prime Minister is expected to hold a crucial meeting with Labor MPs to encourage them to maintain their support for him. So far, Starmer’s approach appears to involve increasing chances of his party losing power if a change in leadership happens to warn against a Labor rebellion.
Nigel Farage, leader of the Reform UK party, has been leading in polls over the past year and speculates that Starmer may not last until the upcoming local elections in May, especially if Labor loses substantial ground to Farage’s party.
