LONDON — Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s director of communications, Tim Allan, resigned Monday, deepening a shake-up at No. 10 Downing Street as Labour struggles to contain a widening controversy over former U.S. ambassador Peter Mandelson’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein. The departure came less than a day after Keir Starmer’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, quit and accepted blame for recommending Mandelson for the Washington post. Feb. 9, 2026.
In a statement carried by Sky News, Allan said he had decided to step aside “to allow a new No 10 team to be built,” adding: “I wish the PM and his team every success.” Allan, a former adviser to Tony Blair, joined Downing Street five months ago as Keir Starmer sought to steady his communications operation, and Sky reported he took the job a week before Mandelson was sacked last September, meaning he was not involved in Mandelson’s original appointment.
Keir Starmer under pressure as Downing Street churn continues
The resignation compounded a political storm already battering Keir Starmer after Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar publicly urged him to quit. In a report on the day Allan left, Reuters reported that Keir Starmer told Labour lawmakers he would not step aside, saying, “I’m not prepared to walk away from my mandate and my responsibility to my country, or to plunge us into chaos.”
Keir Starmer received public backing from senior ministers and several figures seen as potential successors, but Allan’s exit left fresh questions about stability inside No. 10. Reuters noted Allan was the fourth Downing Street communications director Keir Starmer has lost since Labour won power in July 2024, intensifying scrutiny of a government already dogged by policy reversals and internal frustration.
Mandelson-Epstein fallout reopens vetting questions
The immediate trigger for the turmoil is a new wave of disclosures from U.S.-released Epstein files, which have fueled allegations that Mandelson, while a cabinet minister during the financial crisis, shared sensitive information with Epstein. In a Feb. 3 report, Reuters detailed how London’s Metropolitan Police opened an investigation into alleged misconduct in public office after claims Mandelson leaked market-sensitive material, including a 2009 memo discussing possible U.K. asset sales and tax changes and a 2010 message that appeared to give advance notice of an EU bailout.
Keir Starmer told ministers the alleged leaks were “disgraceful,” Reuters reported, and his government referred material to police and said it would cooperate with investigators. Mandelson has not publicly addressed the allegations and did not respond to Reuters requests for comment, though a spokesperson said he had no recollection of payments referenced in the files.
McSweeney’s resignation on Sunday sharpened the political fallout. In an Associated Press report, McSweeney said, “The decision to appoint Peter Mandelson was wrong,” adding that he took “full responsibility” for advising Keir Starmer to make the appointment. The AP also reported that police searches and the investigation relate to alleged misconduct in public office and that Mandelson is not accused of any sexual offenses.
A controversy years in the making
The renewed focus on Mandelson has revived questions about what was known, and when, about his relationship with Epstein. A 2023 Guardian report on an internal JPMorgan review said the financier appeared to keep a “particularly close” relationship with Mandelson, adding to a public record of scrutiny that long predated Keir Starmer’s government.
Despite that backdrop, Keir Starmer’s office announced Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to the United States in December 2024, praising his experience and saying he would strengthen relations with Washington, according to an official statement on GOV.UK. Mandelson was later removed from the role in September 2025 after a separate batch of emails highlighted the extent of his ties to Epstein, Reuters reported at the time.
What happens next for Keir Starmer
For Keir Starmer, the immediate test is whether he can rebuild a leadership team fast enough to restore control of the news cycle while cooperating with a high-profile police inquiry. Downing Street has pledged to disclose documents about how Mandelson was appointed and has pressed a case that officials were misled — an argument Keir Starmer allies see as central to containing political damage.
But Monday’s resignation added to a sense of drift at the heart of government just as Keir Starmer tries to refocus on his domestic agenda. With Labour lawmakers weighing loyalty against electoral anxiety, and opponents casting the episode as a judgment failure, Keir Starmer faces a narrowing window to show he can impose order at No. 10 and move past a scandal that has already cost him two of his most senior advisers.
