The Epstein files make waves in London. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's chief of staff has announced his resignation
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer: Ian Vogler / AFP / Profimedia
The British Prime Minister's chief of staff, Keir Starmer, announced his resignation on Sunday, amid the controversy surrounding the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington, despite his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, AFP notes.
“After careful consideration, I have decided to resign from the Government. The decision to appoint Peter Mandelson was wrong. He has damaged our party, our country and trust in politics itself,” Morgan McSweeney said in a statement.
“I advised the prime minister to make this appointment and I take full responsibility for that advice,” he added.
Mandelson, a minister in the Labor government that has been in power for more than 15 years, resigned from the House of Lords this week over his links to Epstein and is now being investigated by police for alleged abuse of office.
The files released by the US Department of Justice include emails suggesting that Mandelson provided Epstein with government documents and that Epstein recorded payments to Mandelson or his then-partner, now her husband, Reuters writes.
Starmer appointed Mandelson to the ambassador post, arguing that his professional experience in the governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown and as European trade commissioner made him the ideal person to manage relations with Washington under the presidency of Donald Trump.
Starmer sacked Mandelson in September after seven months in the job when documents emerged showing he had remained close to Epstein after the financier was convicted in 2008 of child sex offences.
