Another top adviser to the British Prime Minister has resigned following the scandal generated by the Epstein files / Keir Starmer's announcement

The loss of two senior advisers in a short space of time comes at a complicated time for Starmer, who is trying to calm the crisis caused by revelations about his former ambassador to Washington Peter Mandelson's close ties to the sex abuser Epstein.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's communications director, Tim Allan, resigned on Monday, a day after the prime minister's top adviser, Morgan McSweeney, resigned over his role in supporting Peter Mandelson, known for his links to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

“I have decided to step down to allow a new team to be formed at No 10. I wish the Prime Minister and his team every success,” Allan said.

Allan was an adviser to Tony Blair from 1992 to 1998 and in 2001 founded and ran one of the country's leading public affairs consultancy firms. In September 2025, he was appointed Executive Director of Communications at Downing Street.

The loss of two senior advisers in a short space of time comes at a complicated time for Starmer, who is trying to defuse the crisis caused by revelations about Mandelson's close ties to Epstein.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told his staff in Downing Street on Monday that politics should be a force for good and stressed the importance of moving on after two resignations.

“We have to show that politics can be a force for good. I think it can be. I think it is. We're going forward from here. We're going forward with confidence, continuing to change the country,” Starmer told staff in Downing Street.

Mandelson's links to Epstein

Starmer has repeatedly said he appointed Mandelson to the post of ambassador to Washington without knowing how close Mandelson's ties to Epstein were.

Mandelson, a minister in the Labor government that has been in power for more than 15 years, resigned from the House of Lords last week over his links to Epstein and is now being investigated by police for alleged abuse of office.

The files released last week 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.

Starmer said he had been lied to by Mandelson

Starmer defended his decisions, saying he acted quickly to strip a man he accused of “betraying” Britain of all titles and positions.

Asked in parliament whether the vetting carried out before Mandelson's appointment had noted that he and Epstein had an ongoing relationship, Starmer said yes.

“Yes, he mentioned it. As a result, he was asked various questions,” Starmer said. The prime minister then claimed that Mandelson had lied throughout the trial and that the related documents would prove it.

But Starmer's explanation of how Mandelson was appointed failed to quell the voices of the opposition, who said the ambassador's selection in 2024 called into question the judgment of Starmer and his closest adviser, Morgan McSweeney.