British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is confronting mounting demands to resign, tied to his former Labour colleague Peter Mandelson’s connection to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Anas Sarwar, leader of the Scottish Labour Party, called on Starmer to step down during a press conference on Monday afternoon.
“This isn’t easy, and it’s not without pain—since I have a genuine friendship with Keir Starmer—but my first priority and loyalty is to my country, Scotland,” he stated, noting concerns that the Westminster scandal could overshadow the Scottish Parliament election in May. “The distraction must end, and the leadership in Downing Street needs to change.”
Sarwar himself faced questions this past week when a [missing context] showed him referring to Mandelson as an “old friend” following a meeting they held last April. The Scottish lawmaker again defended the meeting on Monday, asserting Mandelson should never have held office in the first place.
Starmer’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, resigned over the weekend, taking responsibility for advising Starmer to appoint Mandelson as the U.K. ambassador to Washington—a decision now under heightened scrutiny, given that the lawmaker’s links to Epstein were known to some degree.
Tim Allan, Starmer’s director of communications, followed suit on Monday, resigning in what appeared an effort to alleviate pressure on Starmer.
But for some, these departures are insufficient.
Mandelson was removed from the ambassador role in September after prior file releases revealed his relationship with Epstein extended beyond previously known details.
That appointment is now under renewed focus, as emails from the latest file release suggest Mandelson shared sensitive government information with Epstein during his tenure as Business Secretary under then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown. An inquiry into Mandelson over alleged public office misconduct is now underway.
Mandelson quit the Labour Party and left the House of Lords last week. Amid calls for Starmer to follow suit, a Prime Ministerial spokesperson stated on Monday he has no intention of resigning.
“The Prime Minister is focused on the task at hand. He is delivering change across the country,” the spokesperson said, adding Starmer is “confident” of full Cabinet support. Many Cabinet members, including Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, have since voiced backing for the Prime Minister.
Nonetheless, Starmer’s premiership remains under scrutiny, with some lawmakers urging him to consider stepping down.
Brian Leishman
Brian Leishman, a Scottish Labour Party member, fully endorsed Sarwar’s message on Monday.
“I have stated Keir Starmer’s position is unsustainable and that it serves the country’s best interest for him to step down, allowing the government to shift direction,” Leishman told TIME in a statement.
“Sarwar has demonstrated that he and Scottish Labour will act in our country’s best interests,” Leishman added, advocating a return to “real Labour values.”
Ian Byrne
Ian Byrne is among Labour lawmakers who welcomed McSweeney’s Sunday resignation, deeming it “in the government’s best interests.”
He [stated] Starmer’s chief of staff had “overseen the erosion of internal democracy and the normalization of deeply harmful factionalism that members and MPs now endure.”
But Byrne emphasized McSweeney’s resignation is inadequate.
“Genuine political change must originate from—and be led by—the very top,” he said. “The PM must now honestly assess his own position and ask if, for the good of the country and Labour Party, he should follow McSweeney’s example.”
Neil Duncan-Jordan
Neil Duncan-Jordan of the Labour Party remarked: “We cannot continue lurching from one crisis to another. One of the best ways to reset is through renewal, which means changing leadership.”
When asked in an [interview] who should replace Starmer, Duncan-Jordan pointed to Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.
Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) recently blocked Burnham from contesting the Gorton and Denton by-election, sparking significant tension.
“We must acknowledge that, for the party and country’s good, change is necessary,” Duncan-Jordan said, citing other grievances with Starmer’s premiership decisions, including a proposed means-tested winter fuel allowance and amendments to [missing context].
Kemi Badenoch
Conservative Party leader and opposition head Kemi Badenoch has strongly pushed for Starmer’s resignation since pressing him in the House of Commons last week to address questions over Mandelson’s appointment.
“His [Starmer’s] position is now unsustainable. If he believes bad advice warranted Morgan McSweeney’s departure, then yes, that makes his own position unsustainable,” Badenoch told the BBC in an [interview] on Monday.
Badenoch further criticized Starmer’s handling of the Mandelson affair.
“He needs to start governing. Everyone makes mistakes—how you handle them reveals character. What he’s showing is weakness,” she claimed.
Declining to suggest a replacement if Starmer steps down, Badenoch said: “I don’t believe there’s a single better figure on Labour’s benches. Let’s be clear—the issue lies with the Labour Party itself.”