British Prime Minister Keir Starmer held on to his position and refused to resign as he prepared to confront Labor Party representatives, in light of widespread government confusion due to the repercussions of the scandal of American financier Jeffrey Epstein, who was convicted of sex crimes, and what was recently revealed about his links to the former British ambassador to Washington, Peter Mandelson.

Published on: 02/10/2026 - 00:03

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer refused on Monday to resign, as he prepared to confront his Labor Party representatives in an atmosphere of governmental confusion in the wake of the repercussions of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, convicted of sex crimes, and what was recently revealed about his links to the former British ambassador to Washington.

Today, the labor leader finds himself facing an unprecedented crisis of confidence in his leadership and authority within the party, with growing calls for his departure, against the backdrop of his decision in 2024 to appoint Peter Mandelson as the UK ambassador to Washington, despite his knowledge - according to his critics - that his relationship with the American financier continued even after his conviction in 2008.

Starmer addressed his party's representatives in a crucial meeting, in which he was met with applause, saying, "Having fought so hard for the opportunity to change our country, I am not ready to give up my mandate and my responsibility." He spoke in a defiant tone, adding, "I won every battle I ever fought."

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On the other hand, a number of ministers were quick to announce their support for the Prime Minister after days of silence described as suspicious, including his deputy David Lammy, Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper, and Finance Minister Rachel Reeves. Angela Rayner, the most prominent figure on the party's left wing, and Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood - whose names have been floated as potential alternatives - also stressed that they "fully" support Starmer.

Despite this support, setbacks continued for the Prime Minister. Tim Allen, his press officer, resigned from his position on Monday, a few months after his appointment, one day after Starmer's chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, resigned over his role in "advising" the appointment of Mandelson.

Read also: The Epstein case: Jack Lang “suggests” to resign from the presidency of the Arab World Institute after his relationship with Epstein was revealed

With McSweeney's departure, Starmer lost one of his closest advisors and the figure who played a pivotal role in bringing the Labor Party back to the forefront after succeeding left-wing leader Jeremy Corbyn in 2020. Allen stated in a brief statement that he wanted to "allow the formation of a new team in Downing Street."

The faces of the Prime Minister's media team changed more than once during his short term, and successive resignations, policy changes, and political faltering became characteristics of his administration, which contributed to the decline in his popularity.

On the opposition side, Conservative Leader Kimmy Badenoch said in an interview with BBC Radio, “Advisors give advice and leaders decide. He made a bad decision, and he must bear responsibility for that,” stressing that Starmer is in a situation that “cannot continue.”

The Prime Minister is currently suffering under the weight of the most serious crisis since he took power, with the repercussions of Mandelson’s appointment expanding following the publication of emails that showed that he maintained his relationship with Epstein - who committed suicide in his cell in 2019 before his trial - for years after his conviction.

Pressure increased from within the Labor Party itself, as a number of its deputies, most of them from the left wing opposed to Starmer's centrist line, called for him to follow McSweeney's example and submit his resignation. They were joined on Monday by the head of the Scottish Labor Party, Annas Sarwar, who believed that "this camouflage must end, and the leadership in Downing Street must be changed."

Opinion polls show a significant decline for the Labor Party, with the far-right Reform United Kingdom party led by Nigel Farage leading over it by more than 10% a year ago, which has deepened the fears of Labor representatives, even though the date of the next legislative elections is still far away and is scheduled for 2029.

December 2024 saw the appointment of Mandelson, a former European minister and commissioner, as ambassador to Washington in a very sensitive position ahead of Donald Trump’s return to the White House. However, Starmer fired him in September 2025 following the publication of documents that included details of his relationship with Epstein.

The issue returned to the forefront again after the US Department of Justice recently published new documents revealing that Mandelson (72 years old) leaked information to Epstein that could affect the markets, especially when he was a minister in Gordon Brown’s government between 2008 and 2010.

The British police initiated an investigation into these facts, and on Friday they carried out searches at two sites linked to Mandelson. In an attempt to contain the crisis, the Prime Minister expressed his “regret” over his appointment last week before Parliament, stressing that Mandelson had lied about the extent of his relationship with Epstein “before and during his period as ambassador.”

Starmer also on Thursday apologized to Epstein's victims, saying he was "sorry for believing Peter Mandelson's lies and appointing him as ambassador to Washington despite his links to the convicted sex offender." The British government is now preparing to publish tens of thousands of emails, text messages and documents related to Mandelson's appointment, in a move expected to increase pressure on Starmer and Labor ministers.

France 24/AFP

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