Starmer's Chief of Staff at Centre of Escalating Political Storm
As Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces the most severe crisis of his premiership, all eyes have turned to his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney. The political operative known as 'the Irishman' finds himself squarely in the firing line as Labour MPs demand accountability for the disastrous decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as US ambassador.
The Ticking Clock of Westminster
Westminster corridors echo with speculation about Starmer's political survival, with many drawing parallels to the final days of Boris Johnson's premiership. Just as the public recoiled at images of lockdown parties during the pandemic, there is now widespread outrage that Number Ten failed to recognise what seemed obvious to everyone else: appointing a long-time associate of convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein to Britain's most prestigious diplomatic post represented an appalling lapse of judgment.
With Starmer rapidly running out of scapegoats to offer the feverish political commentariat, attention has shifted decisively toward McSweeney. The chief of staff's fingerprints are all over the Starmer administration, from its inception to its current precarious position.
The Mandelson-McSweeney Nexus
The relationship between McSweeney and Mandelson dates back to 2001, when the young operative first encountered the New Labour architect. McSweeney's initial role involved inputting information into Labour's notorious Excalibur system - the party's intelligence-gathering supercomputer that monitored opponents, including fellow Labour MPs.
According to sympathetic biographer Rachel Wearmouth, this period forged a bond of trust between the two men, with Mandelson becoming "a key influence on McSweeney's thinking." Both shared a deep antipathy toward the Corbynite left, forming the foundation of a political alliance that would eventually reshape the Labour Party.
The Dark Arts Mastery
Following Labour's unexpectedly strong performance in the 2017 general election, McSweeney moved to the seemingly innocuous think tank Labour Together. Here, he perfected his political craft, using the organisation's unifying facade to conceal his true objective: destroying Jeremy Corbyn's leadership, even if it meant Labour losing the 2019 election.
McSweeney orchestrated secret campaigns, including an astroturf operation designed to undermine journalists critical of his factional allies. When Starmer eventually assumed the leadership, McSweeney wielded unprecedented power, placing allies throughout party structures and fundamentally altering Labour's DNA by blocking left-wing candidates while elevating factional loyalists.
The Epstein Connection and Cabinet Influence
Recent reports suggest Mandelson worked closely with McSweeney on spreadsheets identifying which potential candidates should be permitted or blocked from representing Labour. While party officials have denied these allegations, the revelations underscore how deeply embedded Mandelsonian influence became within Starmer's project.
Mandelson is also reported to have advised Number Ten on the September 2025 cabinet reshuffle, which elevated McSweeney's closest allies including Housing Minister Steve Reed and Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood. The decision to appoint Mandelson as US ambassador was no aberration but rather the logical culmination of this political partnership.
A Faustian Pact Unravels
Labour MPs now demand that Starmer dismiss his chief of staff, arguing that McSweeney's advice has been "dismal" at best. Yet removing McSweeney would represent political suicide for the Prime Minister, akin to cutting out his own heart. The two men's fates are inextricably linked through what critics describe as a Faustian pact that has tarnished both Starmer's reputation and that of the Labour Party.
As the crisis deepens, Westminster operates under the cold logic of mutually assured destruction. Starmer fears the retribution of a man who has ruthlessly destroyed careers, while McSweeney understands that his own downfall would almost certainly seal his boss's political fate. In these final, desperate hours of the administration, the Mandelson rot is revealed not as historical anomaly but as something running directly to the government's core.
