Morgan McSweeney: The Political Strategist at the Centre of Labour's Mandelson Crisis
As anger among Labour MPs intensifies over Sir Keir Starmer's handling of the Peter Mandelson scandal, the political future of the Prime Minister's trusted chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, hangs in the balance. The influential strategist, widely regarded as Starmer's right-hand man, now finds himself under intense scrutiny for his role in the controversial appointment of the disgraced peer as US ambassador.
The Driving Force Behind a Controversial Appointment
Mr McSweeney is considered the primary architect behind Lord Mandelson's diplomatic posting to Washington, despite allegedly possessing knowledge that Mandelson's dealings with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein continued after the financier's conviction for child sex offences. This revelation has plunged the Prime Minister's inner circle into crisis, with McSweeney's political judgment being questioned at the highest levels of government.
As the Prime Minister's chief of staff, Mr McSweeney occupies a central position in government strategy and decision-making processes. Consequently, many within Westminster view him as responsible for Downing Street's failed attempt to control the release of potentially explosive documents detailing the appointment decision, which has significantly damaged the government's credibility.
From Building Sites to Downing Street
Born in County Cork, Ireland, Mr McSweeney moved to London in 1994 at age seventeen, where he reportedly worked on construction sites before embarking on his political career. His journey into Labour politics began in 1997, motivated by the party's support for the Good Friday Agreement, which proved instrumental in the Northern Ireland peace process.
His political trajectory saw him take a position as a Labour conference administrator in June 2001, according to his LinkedIn profile. He later joined Labour's "attack and rebuttal unit" at the party's Millbank headquarters, where he was reportedly tasked with adding information to Peter Mandelson's "excalibur" database that informed campaign messaging.
A Rising Political Operator
During the 2005 general election, Mr McSweeney's reputation as an effective organiser grew as he was dispatched to marginal constituencies to campaign. He emerged as a key figure in a successful push, led by current Communities Secretary Steve Reed, to oust the coalition of Liberal Democrats and Conservatives in the London borough of Lambeth.
After an unsuccessful bid to become a councillor in Sutton in 2006, he was appointed head of Mr Reed's leader's office in Southwark, a role he maintained until October 2007. Following a period as director of communities at The Campaign Company consultancy, Mr McSweeney joined the Local Government Association as a political adviser and was later appointed head of the organisation's Labour group office, a position he held until 2017.
Leadership Campaigns and Electoral Controversies
During his tenure at the Local Government Association, Mr McSweeney ran Liz Kendall's leadership campaign in 2015, which resulted in the current Science Secretary finishing fourth. In 2017, he was appointed director of the Labour Together think tank, sharing board positions with Mr Reed and current Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy.
At the time, he reportedly declared his intention to move the party, then under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership, "from the hard left" and "build a sustainable winning electoral coalition." However, Mr McSweeney later faced scrutiny over financial irregularities during his role at Labour Together.
In 2021, the Electoral Commission fined the think tank £14,250 for multiple violations, including failing to deliver donation reports within thirty days, inaccurately reporting donations, and failing to appoint a responsible person within thirty days of accepting a donation. The Conservatives called for the regulator to revisit the case in September last year after emails, seemingly sent by a Labour Together lawyer to Mr McSweeney, were leaked.
Architect of Starmer's Rise
Mr McSweeney was appointed to run Sir Keir's successful 2020 leadership campaign and initially became his chief of staff. Following Labour's poor showing in the Chesham and Amersham by-election in 2021, he was moved to a strategic role in the leader's office but reportedly remained a key adviser.
After being appointed as Labour's director of campaigns in September 2021, Mr McSweeney is said to have spearheaded a push to impose a new centralised long-listing process for parliamentary candidates, widely viewed as an attempt to exclude those on the left of the party.
Downing Street Tensions and Current Crisis
Labour's election victory in 2024 resulted in Mr McSweeney being appointed to the shared role of head of political strategy. Reports later suggested tension had developed between Mr McSweeney and then chief of staff Sue Gray, though Labour sources provided contradictory opinions on the relationship at the time.
Following Ms Gray's resignation, Mr McSweeney was appointed Downing Street chief of staff in October 2024. Now, alongside the Prime Minister, he faces serious questions about his political judgment following Lord Mandelson's sacking.
In what appears to be a defence of his close ally, the Prime Minister insisted that "none of us knew the depth of the darkness" of Lord Mandelson's relationship with the convicted sex offender. Nevertheless, the strength of feeling within the Labour Party and beyond means the future of one of the most influential figures on the political left, and a key architect of Sir Keir's rise to become Prime Minister, remains shrouded in profound uncertainty.
