This article is from: srnnews.com
LONDON, Feb 8 (Reuters) – British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney has quit, he said in a statement on Sunday, as pressure intensifies on Starmer over his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States.
Starmer is facing what is widely seen as the biggest crisis of his 18 months in power over his decision to send Mandelson to Washington in 2024, after files showed the extent of Mandelson’s relationship to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
McSweeney, Starmer’s closest adviser and widely seen as one of the architects of Starmer’s success in Britain’s July 2024 election, said in a statement that he had been closely involved in the appointment of Mandelson.
“The decision to appoint Peter Mandelson was wrong. He has damaged our party, our country and trust in politics itself,” McSweeney said in a statement posted on X by political correspondents.
“When asked, I advised the Prime Minister to make that appointment and I take full responsibility for that advice.”
(Reporting by Sarah Young; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
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