Sir Keir Starmer’s director of communications, Tim Allan, has resigned, just a day after the prime minister lost his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney.
Allan is the fourth communications chief to leave Downing Street in under a year, having served five months. In a statement, he said he was stepping down “to allow a new No 10 team to be built.”
The resignations follow the fallout from revelations about Lord Mandelson’s links to the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. McSweeney resigned on Sunday, taking responsibility for advising Starmer to appoint Mandelson as ambassador to the US in 2024.
Starmer dismissed Mandelson in September when documents showed a close relationship with Epstein. The departures have left the prime minister struggling to reassure Labour MPs and restore confidence in his leadership.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch criticized Starmer, saying he is “in office but not in power.” SNP leader John Swinney echoed the sentiment, calling Starmer’s judgment “appalling.”
Some Labour MPs, including Clive Lewis and Andy McDonald, have expressed concerns about the political culture under Starmer’s administration, urging him to take responsibility and outline a clear plan forward.
Starmer is expected to address the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) on Monday evening, promising reforms to the appointments process and measures to strengthen vetting and lobbying rules. Meanwhile, Allan’s exit adds pressure to demonstrate that Starmer has a plan to stabilize his leadership.
Deputies Vidhya Alakeson and Jill Cuthbertson have been appointed joint acting chiefs of staff. Senior Labour figures, including Baroness Smith of Malvern and Dame Emily Thornberry, have publicly backed Starmer, emphasizing the need for clear leadership and party unity moving forward.
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