Live Updates: Keir Starmer Under Pressure to Resign as Prime Minister of Britain

PinnedUpdated Here’s the latest.The leader of the Scottish Labour Party, Anas Sarwar, urged Prime Minister Keir Starmer to stand down on Monday, intensifying pressure on the British leader over his role in making Peter Mandelson the ambassador to the United States despite his close ties to Jeffrey Epstein.“I have to be honest about failing wherever I see it,” Mr. Sarwar said at a news conference in Glasgow. “There have been too many mistakes.”While not a member of the cabinet, Mr. Sarwar is the most senior figure in Mr. Starmer’s Labour movement so far to call on him to quit, deepening a crisis within the government that threatens the prime minister’s grip on power.Mr. Starmer had fired Mr. Mandelson from his diplomatic post in the United States in September, citing new information about his contacts with Mr. Epstein. But thousands of pages of additional emails released as part of the latest tranche of Epstein files on Jan. 30 revealed a much closer friendship than Mr. Mandelson had acknowledged. The messages suggested that Mr. Mandelson, while in a senior government role in 2009, passed on confidential and market sensitive information to Mr. Epstein on several occasions.Mr. Sarwar is a well-known figure within the party and, before the last general election in 2024, appeared on course to lead Labour to victory in elections to the Scottish Parliament in May. But the government’s loss of popularity nationally under Mr. Starmer’s leadership has damaged the Labour Party in Scotland, which now trails in the opinion polls well behind the Scottish National Party.In response to Mr. Sarwar’s call, a succession of cabinet ministers posted social media messages voicing their loyalty to Mr. Starmer, in an attempt to stabilize his position. John Healey, Britain’s defense secretary, said that Mr. Starmer had “my fullest support in leading this government and this country,” while Rachel Reeves, Britain’s top finance official, said that “we are turning the country around” with Mr. Starmer.Mr. Sarwar called Mr. Starmer “a decent man,” but said that the turmoil in Downing Street had become a “huge distraction.” He said he was not part of a plan to oust the prime minister and that there had been “no coordination” with others.“It’s for those in No 10, those around the cabinet table and those in the U.K. Labour Party to decide what comes next,” Mr. Sarwar said.Here’s what else to know:Starmer aides resign: Tim Allan, Mr. Starmer’s director of communications, resigned on Monday, adding to a sense of crisis for the government. Mr. Allan, a longtime friend of Mr. Mandelson’s who worked with him when Tony Blair was prime minister in the 1990s, quit less than 24 hours after Morgan McSweeney stepped down as Mr. Starmer’s chief of staff.Financial markets reaction: Reflecting the political uncertainty, the yield on Britain’s 10-year government bonds rose 0.07 percentage points, to 4.58 percent on Monday. Investors tend to sell Britain’s government bonds, pushing up borrowing costs, when there are signs of political risk. Some investors have concerns that a new Labour leader from the left of the party could loosen the government’s fiscal policy and make it harder to bring down the country’s heavy debt burden.Now there’s a significant and supportive statement from Angela Rayner, a former deputy prime minister who is seen by many as a potential successor to Keir Starmer. “I urge all my colleagues to come together, remember our values and put them into practice as a team,” she wrote on X. “The Prime Minister has my full support in leading us to that end.” The Scottish National Party, which hopes to win elections to Scotland’s parliament in May, has portrayed Anas Sarwar’s comments as a desperate effort to improve Labour’s poll rating. “Anas Sarwar would sell his own granny,” said Kirsty Blackman, an SNP lawmaker at Westminster, in a statement. She added that Sarwar’s change of view on the prime minister “reeks of desperation, hypocrisy and opportunism.”If the prime minister does survive in the short run, he faces another looming disaster if his Labour Party does not win a special election in less than three weeks, to fill a seat in the Manchester area that was left empty by the recent resignation of a Labour politician. If Labour loses, Starmer is likely to be blamed for dragging his party down.Senior members of Starmer’s cabinet are rallying round on behalf of their boss. One question is whether it’s enough to release the pressure on the prime minister for long enough to let the anger among Labour allies subside.Beth Rigby, political editor for Sky News, is reporting that Wes Streeting, a main contender to succeed Keir Starmer, has told her that he does not think that the prime minister needs to resign. If confirmed, it would not be the most full-throated expression of support, but it is also not a call for Starmer to quit.ImageCredit...Toby Melville/ReutersEd Miliband, a former Labour leader who is Britain’s energy secretary and a popular figure on the party’s center left, has voiced his support for the prime minister. “Keir has earned the right to deliver the change he has promised and do what he cares about - which is to serve the country,” Miliband wrote on X. “This is not the time for the government to turn inwards on itself. We must focus on delivering the change we promised the country.”Andrew Bowie, who speaks for the Conservative Party on Scottish issues in Britain’s parliament, has released a statement saying that Anas Sarwar “has just put one of the final nails in Starmer’s political coffin.” Bowie said: “The Prime Minister’s credibility is shot,” adding that Scottish Labour lawmakers “should put Keir Starmer out of his misery.”So far there are no new statements of support from the two main contenders to take over from Starmer. They are Wes Streeting, the health secretary, and Angela Rayner, the former deputy prime minister.John Healey, Britain’s defense secretary and someone seen as a possible caretaker leader if Starmer did resign, has also voiced his loyalty to the prime minister. “The British public gave Keir a huge mandate only 18 months ago,” Healey wrote on X. “They wanted a Labour government. They want us to deliver the change we promised. They expect us to get on with the job. The PM has my fullest support in leading this government and this country,” he said, referring to the prime minister.ImageCredit...Jack Taylor/Getty ImagesA succession of cabinet ministers are now writing posts on social media supporting the prime minister in an attempt to stabilize his position. “With Keir as our Prime Minister we are turning the country around,” wrote Rachel Reeves, Britain’s top economic official, on X.There are many questions over what would come next and who would replace Starmer if he did resign. There are several potential rivals who could try to mount leadership bids in the hopes of becoming prime minister.The resignation of a key Starmer aide has accelerated the scandal.ImageMorgan McSweeney resigned on Sunday over his role in the appointment of Peter Mandelson, a friend of Jeffrey Epstein, as ambassador to the United States.Credit...Leon Neal/Getty ImagesMorgan McSweeney’s resignation as the chief of staff to Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain on Sunday accelerated a fast-moving scandal that now threatens to imperil the prime minister’s leadership of the first Labour government in 14 years.Mr. McSweeney announced his departure under pressure after days of political upheaval over his role in the appointment of Peter Mandelson, a prominent figure in British politics and a friend of Jeffrey Epstein, as ambassador to the United States.Mr. McSweeney, a longtime protégé of Mr. Mandelson’s and an architect of Labour’s political resurgence after years of domination by the Conservative Party, said in a statement that “the decision to appoint Peter Mandelson was wrong. He has damaged our party, our country and trust in politics itself.”He added, “When asked, I advised the prime minister to make that appointment, and I take full responsibility for that advice.”Mr. Starmer’s allies in the Labour Party have been calling for Mr. McSweeney to depart, after emails released by the U.S. Justice Department revealed a much closer relationship than had previously been known between Mr. Mandelson and Mr. Epstein, the sex offender and disgraced financier who killed himself in prison in 2019.Since the latest Epstein files were released, some Labour allies have openly joined Mr. Starmer’s adversaries in calling for him to step aside. Over the weekend, more members of Parliament called for Mr. McSweeney to take the fall, citing his closeness to Mr. Mandelson and his push to make him the ambassador.On Sunday, some analysts argued that Mr. McSweeney’s resignation could dampen calls for Mr. Starmer to step down. But instead it appears to have intensified the turmoil.Mr. McSweeney, who was raised in Ireland, gained experience battling the Labour Party’s left internally and Britain’s far-right in municipal politics. As a top campaign aide and later a senior official at No. 10 Downing Street, he masterminded Labour’s general election victory and won out in a ferocious post-election power struggle, during which his predecessor, Sue Gray, was ousted.Anas Sarwar is asked about his own contacts with Peter Mandelson, who was fired from his diplomatic post in the United States in September over his links to Jeffrey Epstein. Sarwar said he has known Mandelson since around 2021, and spoke to him while he was in Washington D.C. “I didn’t appoint him as U.S. ambassador,” Sarwar said of Mandelson, adding that “he has betrayed this country he has betrayed the party he was once a member of.”ImageCredit...Kirsty Wigglesworth/Associated PressStarmer’s communication chief resigns, adding to the British leader’s woes.ImagePrime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain speaking in southern England on Thursday. Aides told a daily briefing with journalists that Mr. Starmer did not intend to resign.Credit...Pool photo by Peter NichollsThe director of communications for Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain resigned on Monday, adding to a sense of crisis for the government and growing questions about Mr. Starmer’s leadership.The communications director, Tim Allan, a veteran political operative who only joined Mr. Starmer’s government about five months ago, quit less than 24 hours after Morgan McSweeney stepped down as the prime minister’s chief of staff over ties between Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender, and Britain’s former ambassador to the United States, Peter Mandelson.Mr. McSweeney resigned after acknowledging that he had urged Mr. Starmer to appoint Mr. Mandelson to the post in late 2024.Mr. Allan, a longtime friend of Mr. Mandelson who worked with him when Tony Blair was prime minister in the 1990s, said in a statement, “I have decided to stand down to allow a new No. 10 team to be built.”“I wish the P.M. and his team every success,” he added.The decision to appoint Mr. Mandelson is at the center of a political crisis that threatens to bring down Mr. Starmer’s premiership. Files released by the U.S. Justice Department revealed that Mr. Mandelson and Mr. Epstein had a longer and closer friendship than was previously known.The documents appear to show that when Mr. Mandelson was a member of the government in 2009, he sent confidential and market-sensitive information to Mr. Epstein, including an internal email sent to Gordon Brown, the prime minister at the time, outlining a potential sale of government assets.“Interesting note that’s gone to the PM,” Mr. Mandelson wrote.And in May 2010, the emails indicate, Mr. Mandelson gave Mr. Epstein advance notice that a bailout of 500 billion euros, about $600 billion, had been agreed to tackle the eurozone crisis. Mr. Epstein wrote, “Sources tell me 500 b euro bailout, almost compelte,” misspelling the word complete.Mr. Mandelson replied, “Sd be announced tonight.”Mr. Mandelson also sought advice from Mr. Epstein about setting up an advisory and consultancy firm and about how to attract clients, and the emails suggest that Mr. Epstein made tens of thousands of dollars of payments to Mr. Mandelson.Critics and allies of Mr. Starmer have demanded to know what he knew about the relationship between the two men when he appointed Mr. Mandelson to the post. The prime minister has insisted that Mr. Mandelson lied about the extent of his ties to Mr. Epstein.In a speech to his staff on Monday morning, Mr. Starmer once again lashed out at the former ambassador.“The thing that makes me most angry is the undermining of the belief that politics can be a force for good and can change lives,” Mr. Starmer said in a speech to staff at 10 Downing Street, according to a readout from political aides of the closed-door speech.“I have been absolutely clear that I regret the decision that I made to appoint Peter Mandelson,” the prime minister added. “And I’ve apologized to the victims, which is the right thing to do.”Mr. Starmer also vowed to continue working to carry out the agenda of the Labour Party, which won an overwhelming majority 18 months ago, ending more than 14 years of government by the Conservative Party. Mr. Starmer’s aides told a daily briefing with journalists that the prime minister did not intend to resign.“We go forward from here,” Mr. Starmer said in his speech to staff. “We go with confidence as we continue changing the country.”