British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's position hangs in the balance today as he tries to convince his Labour Party MPs not to sack him after just a year and a half in office over the crisis sparked by revelations of ties between former ambassador to Washington Peter Mandelson and the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Starmer's chief of staff resigned yesterday over this, taking the blame for advising the prime minister to appoint Mandelson as ambassador, while Starmer is rapidly losing support from Labour MPs.
Starmer is expected to address Labour MPs behind closed doors later today in a bid to rebuild some of the shaken trust in him.
The political storm stems from Starmer's decision in 2024 to appoint Mandelson as ambassador to the US, Britain's most important diplomatic post, even though he knew he had links to Epstein.
Starmer dismissed Mandelson in September after emails were released showing he continued his friendship with Epstein after his 2008 conviction for sex offences involving a minor.
Critics say Starmer should have known better than to appoint Mandelson, 72, a controversial figure whose career has been marred by scandals over money and ethics.
A new series of Epstein documents, which were released in the US, have brought additional details about the Mandelson-Epstein relationship and new pressure on Starmer.
Starmer's government has promised to release its own emails and other documentation related to Mandelson's appointment, which it claims will show that Mandelson "misled officials".
Starmer apologized this Sunday for "believing Mandelson's lies" and added that "no one knew the depth of darkness" of the relationship between Mandelson and Epstein.
However, numerous MPs have called on Starmer himself to resign.
Police are questioning Mandelson for potential abuse of public office over documents indicating he passed sensitive government information to Epstein 15 years ago. The crime carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Mandelson has not been arrested or charged and does not face allegations of sexual misconduct.
Some Labour officials hope that the departure of Starmer's chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, will buy the prime minister time to rebuild trust with his party and the country.
Some Labour officials believe McSweeney's departure will provide a chance for a reset, while others believe it leaves Starmer weakened and isolated.
Opposition Conservative Party leader Camille Badenoch said Starmer had "made one bad decision after another" and that his position was now "untenable".
Since coming to power, Starmer has struggled to deliver on promises of economic growth, fixing crumbling public services and reducing the cost of living.
He promised to restore honest government after 14 years of scandal-plagued Conservative rule, but he has had a series of bad moves and reversals over cuts to Social Security and other unpopular policies, the AP writes.
According to polls, Labour is consistently behind the far-right Reform UK party, and the failure of their support to improve has fuelled talk and proposals to initiate a leadership change, even before the Mandelson revelations.
Under the British parliamentary system, prime ministers can change without the need for a national election. If a review of Starmer's leadership is launched or if he resigns, it would trigger a Labour Party leadership election, with the winner becoming prime minister.
The Conservatives changed three prime ministers between the 2019 and 2024 national elections. One of them, Liz Truss, was in office for only 49 days.
Starmer was elected on a promise to end the political chaos that has plagued the final years of Conservative rule. That has proven easier said than done, writes the AP.
Labour MP Clive Efford said Starmer's critics should be careful what they wish for.
"I don't think people took well to the changes in prime ministers when the Tories were in power. It didn't do them any good," Eford said.
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