‘I have decided to stand down to allow a new No.10 team to be built,’ says communications chief Tim Allan
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer adjusts his glasses as he waits to deliver his speech in St Leonards, Britain, February 05, 2026.FILE PHOTO: REUTERS
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer lost a second senior aide on Monday as pressure mounted over his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States, an appointment now overshadowed by Mandelson’s links to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Starmer’s communications chief, Tim Allan, resigned, saying he was stepping aside to allow a new Downing Street team to be built to support a leader facing mounting political turmoil.
Allan’s departure came a day after Starmer’s closest aide, Morgan McSweeney, resigned, saying he took responsibility for pushing Mandelson’s appointment. Mandelson’s past association with Epstein has raised questions about Starmer’s judgement and his ability to govern.
Starmer addressed staff at his Downing Street office, urging unity. “We must prove that politics can be a force for good,” he told them. “I believe it can. I believe it is. We go forward from here. We go with confidence as we continue changing the country.”
The second resignation, however, did little to calm calls from within Labour and beyond for Starmer to step down.
British government borrowing costs rose on Monday, reflecting investor concern about the future direction of the Labour government’s fiscal policy amid the political instability.
Starmer seeks reset
After agreeing with McSweeney on Sunday that it was time for him to move on, Starmer had hoped to reset the narrative and refocus on tackling the cost-of-living crisis and boosting the British economy, an agenda his government has struggled to keep in the spotlight.
Opposition Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch accused Starmer of failing to control his government.
“He’s like a plastic bag blowing in the wind,” she told Sky News. “He needs to get a grip, and if he can’t do it then someone else in the Labour Party needs to, or they should have an election.”
Read More: UK’s Starmer expresses regret over Mandelson, says ex-ambassador ‘lied repeatedly’
Starmer had appointed Allan in September to shore up a struggling Downing Street operation and improve the government’s standing with the media. Instead, Allan, a former adviser to ex-prime minister Tony Blair, drew criticism for being slow to take decisions.
“I have decided to stand down to allow a new No.10 team to be built,” Allan said in a statement. “I wish the prime minister and his team every success.”
Mandelson under investigation
The latest crisis erupted after files released by the US Justice Department last month included emails suggesting Mandelson had leaked discussions on possible British asset sales and tax changes to Epstein during the global financial crisis.
Mandelson has said he does not recall receiving payments from Epstein. He has not commented publicly on the allegations that he leaked documents and did not respond to requests for comment.
Mandelson is now under police investigation for alleged misconduct in public office.
Starmer is due to meet Labour lawmakers later today in an effort to ease anger over the handling of Mandelson’s appointment and quell calls for his resignation.
One Labour lawmaker described McSweeney’s departure as “politically tone deaf”, saying on condition of anonymity that he should have resigned when the latest allegations emerged last week rather than waiting to see “if he could survive”.
Starmer has defended his own actions, accusing Mandelson of a “litany of deceit” over his Epstein ties and pledging to release documents detailing how the appointment was made.
