UK Prime Minister Starmer responds to calls for resignation

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer made a statement regarding the crisis in national politics caused by the latest documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice concerning U.S. billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, who was accused of running a sex trafficking ring, during a visit to a community center in Hertfordshire, near London.

Starmer, who has been the target of criticism for approving the appointment of former House of Lords member Peter Mandelson as the UK Ambassador to the U.S. in December 2024—amid allegations that Mandelson leaked numerous state secrets—responded to calls for his resignation.

Starmer said, "In recent days, some have said that this Labour government is fighting a different battle, an internal battle, instead of fighting for the millions of people who need it. To them, I say: I will never abandon the mandate I was given to change this country. I will never give up on the people I am tasked to fight for, and I will never give up on the country I love."

In his statement, the UK Prime Minister emphasized that the real fight should be waged against political opponents rather than within the party, calling for a struggle against the Reform UK party. Starmer stated, "The real fight is against Reform's 'divide and complain' politics that will tear our country apart."

The Prime Minister also commemorated his brother, Nick Starmer, who passed away in 2024, saying, "He spent almost his entire adult life moving from one job to another in poverty. This political system did not work for him, and millions of people are in the same situation."

Starmer's chief of staff had resigned

Starmer's chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, resigned from his post yesterday due to his role in Mandelson's appointment as U.S. Ambassador. McSweeney had been the target of criticism for pushing for Mandelson's appointment despite his relationship with Epstein being public knowledge at the time; he stated that he did not conduct the security vetting for the appointment process but wanted to take "full responsibility" for recommending the appointment to the Prime Minister.

Mandelson's correspondence with Epstein had surfaced

It was revealed in newly disclosed correspondence within the Epstein documents that Mandelson had leaked numerous pieces of state information. It emerged that while serving as Secretary of State for Business and Trade in Gordon Brown's government in 2009, Mandelson told Epstein that the head of JP Morgan bank should "gently threaten" the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer over tax plans regarding banker bonuses, tipped off Epstein in advance about a 500 billion euro bailout package prepared by the EU during the eurozone debt crisis, that Epstein sent a total of 75,000 dollars to Mandelson in 2003 and 2004—25,000 dollars each time—and that Epstein sent 10,000 pounds to Mandelson's partner, Reinaldo Avila da Silva.

Mandelson had resigned

Mandelson, seen as one of the primary architects of the Labour Party's election successes in 1997, 2001, and 2005, announced that he would leave the House of Lords as of February 4 following the emergence of his new correspondence with Epstein, and resigned from his Labour Party membership on February 8.