British Prime Minister Keir Starmer refused on Monday to heed calls to quit, even by the leader of his party in Scotland, after a second aide resigned from a team in crisis over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington.
Under pressure over the appointment of a man whose close ties to the late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have come into full focus, Starmer has attempted to change the narrative.
But a demand from Anas Sarwar, leader of the Scottish Labour Party, for Starmer to quit and the departure of a second senior aide in as many days did little to stop the questions over his judgment and ability to govern.
The resignation of communications chief Tim Allan followed the exit of Starmer’s closest aide, Morgan McSweeney, who said he took responsibility for advising on the appointment of Mandelson to Britain’s top diplomatic role in the United States.
Earlier on Monday, the British leader sought to raise spirits and encourage unity when he addressed staff at his Downing Street office, and he later received messages of support from his top ministers and some potential leadership rivals.
“We must prove that politics can be a force for good,” Starmer told them, praising McSweeney as “a friend” who helped change the Labour Party and win the 2024 national election with one of the largest parliamentary majorities in modern British history.
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