<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>British prime minister </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/keir-starmer" rel="" target="_blank" title="Sir Keir Starmer's"><span>Sir Keir Starmer's</span></a><span> prime ministership is in jeopardy as several figures within the Labour Party call for him to step down.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Starmer's Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney resigned this morning after taking responsibility for recommending Starmer appoint </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/jeffrey-epstein-update-uk-prime-minister-keir-starmer-apologises-to-victims-for-giving-peter-mandelson-us-ambassadorial-job/4473b743-f8cb-4c05-abcf-08ea8017a553" rel="" target="_blank" title="Peter Mandelson"><span>Peter Mandelson</span></a><span> as the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/uk" rel="" target="_blank" title="UK's"><span>UK's</span></a><span> Ambassador to the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/usa" rel="" target="_blank" title="USA"><span>USA</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Mandelson is a known associate of the late convicted sex offender </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/jeffrey-epstein" rel="" target="_blank" title="Jeffrey Epstein"><span>Jeffrey Epstein</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/australia-imposes-tariffs-on-chinese-steel-imports/c768c50d-2000-4e07-a160-c78e680ee310" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Australia quietly introduces tariffs on Chinese steel</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>McSweeney acknowledged in a statement the pain the decision had caused, conceding it was the only option he could take.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The decision to appoint Peter Mandelson was wrong," McSweeney said in a statement. "He has damaged our party, our country and trust in politics itself.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I advised the prime minister to make that appointment and I take full responsibility for that advice… In the circumstances, the only honourable course is to step aside."</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/sir-keir-starmer-uk-prime-minister-peter-mandelson/871e4415-fdae-4acd-9eb5-650ff96e6afa" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Mandelson was sacked in September by Starmer after emails were published showing that he maintained a friendship with Epstein after the late financier's 2008 conviction for sex offences involving a minor.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Starmer </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/keir-starmer-didnt-know-jeffrey-epstein-but-uk-prime-ministers-job-is-under-threat/88c4a5f8-1c39-43e6-8ca0-401be0146cd8" rel="" target="_blank" title="formally apologised"><span>formally apologised</span></a><span> for the appointment last week, claiming Mandelson had misled him about the extent of his relationship with Epstein.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>However, the scandal could be a fatal blow to Starmer's tumultuous tenure as Prime Minister.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/wieambilla-us-prosecutors-seek-jail-time-for-arizona-man-linked-to-wieambilla-terrorist-attack-officers-kiled-queensland-us-news/cfb04349-2848-409f-ac0e-db75d0a5dff0" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>US prosecutors seek jail term for conspiracy theorist linked to Wieambilla terror attack</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Charles Miller, political expert from the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/australia" rel="" target="_blank" title="Australian"><span>Australian</span></a><span> National University, said Starmer's position was at serious risk.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It is probably his last chance to remain prime minister," he told </span><a href="http://9news.com.au"><span>9news.com.au</span></a><span>, saying McSweeney's departure will have a significant impact.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"[MacSweeney] was very important. He was Starmer's chief strategist and largely shaped his approach to </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/politics" rel="" target="_blank" title="politics"><span>politics</span></a><span>."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Miller said economic stagnation and attempting to appeal to a broader support base has seen the Labour party alienate large sections of the population, and they sit behind Reform UK in the polls.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>With local council elections approaching in May - and Labour staring down the barrel of poor results -  some Labor MPs have called for Starmer to follow MacSweeney's lead.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/japan-election-prime-minister-sanae-takaichi-on-path-to-winning-majority-exit-polls-say/6e2a3759-a97b-48fa-a6d2-c35028c8067c" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Landslide election victory rocks politics - and gets Trump's attention</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"McSweeney was at the heart of the political mistakes made since the General Election," Brian Leishmann said on </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/x" rel="" target="_blank" title="X"><span>X</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The PM must consider following McSweeney's lead one last time and doing the same [stepping down]."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Leishman claimed factionalism was damaging the party, a claim made by fellow MP Richard Burgon.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We need a total clear out at the top of the Party," he added.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><strong><span>NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></strong></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><p><em><strong><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727"><em><strong><span>Apple</span></strong></em></a><span> </span><em><strong><span>and</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1"><em><strong><span>Google Play</span></strong></em></a></p></li><li><p><em><strong><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w"><em><strong><span>ticking this box here</span></strong></em></a></p></li><li><p><em><strong><span>Sign up to</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine"><em><strong><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></strong></em></a></p></li></ul></div></div>