General · 8 February 2026
McSweeney resigns as Chief of Staff
Morgan McSweeney resigned as Downing Street chief of staff, accepting "full responsibility" for advising Prime Minister Keir Starmer to appoint Peter Mandelson as US ambassador. The resignation follows revelations that McSweeney pushed for the appointment despite security red flags regarding Mandelson’s links to Jeffrey Epstein and China. Simultaneously, police searched two properties linked to Mandelson amid a misconduct investigation, while officials review his estimated £38,750 to £55,000 exit payment following his dismissal.
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