Starmer’s director of communications Tim Allan resigned on Monday, a day after Starmer’s top aide Morgan McSweeney quit over his role in backing Peter Mandelson over his known links to Jeffrey Epstein
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Director of Communications Tim Allan resigned on Monday, a day after the prime minister’s top aide Morgan McSweeney stepped down over his role in backing Peter Mandelson despite his known links to Jeffrey Epstein.
The departure of two senior aides in quick succession comes as Starmer seeks to draw a line under a crisis engulfing his government following the appointment of Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador to the United States.
“I have decided to stand down to allow a new No10 team to be built. I wish the PM and his team every success,” Reuters quoted Allan as saying in a statement on Monday.
Allan served as an adviser to former prime minister Tony Blair from 1992 to 1998, before founding and leading one of Britain’s foremost public affairs consultancies in 2001. He was appointed executive director of communications at Downing Street in September 2025.
Starmer has moved to shore up support within his party amid growing unease over the fallout, with senior Labour figures urging MPs to halt speculation about his leadership.
Jacqui Smith, a Labour veteran who served in the governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, said it was a “good idea” for McSweeney to resign but warned against efforts to push Starmer out of office.
With inputs from agencies
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