Labour MPs Intensify Calls for Morgan McSweeney's Dismissal
Prime Minister Keir Starmer is confronting escalating demands from furious Labour backbenchers to dismiss his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney. The pressure has intensified following revelations about McSweeney's role in advising Starmer to appoint the controversial Peter Mandelson as US ambassador, despite Mandelson's known association with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Mounting Parliamentary Rebellion
At least eight Labour MPs have publicly called for McSweeney's removal, warning that he has become an "albatross around the PM's neck" and threatens to destabilise the government. Liverpool Riverside MP Kim Johnson delivered a particularly scathing assessment, declaring: "McSweeney's operation is rotten to the core."
Other prominent voices joining the chorus include Alloa and Grangemouth MP Brian Leishman, who stated it was "time he was removed from power," and Kingston upon Hull East MP Karl Turner, who cautioned: "If McSweeney continues in No 10 Downing Street, I think the PM is up against it in a way that he doesn't need to be."
Mandelson Appointment Controversy
The controversy centres on Mandelson's December 2024 appointment as US ambassador, which Starmer has acknowledged occurred despite his awareness that Mandelson maintained friendship with Epstein after his conviction for child sex offences. Recent polling indicates this scandal has reached near-universal public awareness, with just five percent of voters unaware of Mandelson's Epstein connections.
Stroud MP Simon Opher expressed broader concerns about Starmer's advisory team, stating the Prime Minister is being "badly advised and really let down" and needs to "change his advisers."
Journalist Investigation Allegations
Further damaging reports emerged this week revealing that Labour Together, a think-tank formerly led by McSweeney, paid a PR firm at least £30,000 to investigate journalists from prominent outlets including the Sunday Times and Guardian. The operation aimed to identify sources for stories examining the think-tank's financial backing of Starmer's leadership campaign.
Documents shared with the Democracy for Sale Substack exposed these activities, though Labour Together has declined to comment on the allegations.
Internal Labour Divisions
While Downing Street maintains Starmer's confidence in McSweeney, internal dissent continues to grow. One Labour MP described McSweeney as a "distraction on steroids," noting that constituents consistently ask: "When's the leader going to get rid of his adviser?"
A former minister accused McSweeney of orchestrating a "factional coup" during September's reshuffle, filling government positions with Starmer loyalists and exhausting the party's "goodwill bank." The MP quipped about Labour's policy challenges: "We've got too many barnacles, not enough boats."
Contradictory Signals from Within
Left-wing MP Rachael Maskell, who initially supported calls for McSweeney's dismissal, appeared to soften her stance after meeting with Starmer at Chequers. She acknowledged Starmer's "genuine mortification" and extended her "hand of friendship," while still maintaining that "if he sacked Morgan McSweeney, we would be in a much stronger place."
However, another Labour MP branded Maskell a "complete hypocrite" for enjoying Starmer's hospitality hours after calling for his resignation, highlighting the deep divisions within parliamentary ranks.
The accumulating controversies surrounding McSweeney's advisory decisions and alleged involvement in journalist investigations have created one of Starmer's most significant internal challenges since taking office, with backbench pressure showing no signs of abating.
