Keir Starmer just watched his political allies abandon ship over a scandal everyone knew was coming.
The British Prime Minister spent Monday watching his government collapse from within after appointing a man with documented ties to Jeffrey Epstein as ambassador to Washington.
Now his own Scottish Labour leader just told him to resign, and that's before the truly damaging documents come out.
Peter Mandelson Epstein Files Revealed Market-Sensitive Information Leaks
Starmer knew Peter Mandelson maintained contact with Epstein after his 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor.
He appointed him anyway.
When Mandelson's relationship with the convicted sex offender surfaced in September, Starmer fired him from the ambassadorship.
But newly released Department of Justice files show Mandelson allegedly leaked market-sensitive government information to Epstein during the 2008 financial crisis.
In May 2010, Mandelson emailed Epstein about a 500-billion-euro bank bailout hours before European governments approved it.
Same month, Mandelson told Epstein "Finally got him to go today" – believed to be about Prime Minister Gordon Brown – and Epstein replied about how "chapters in your book should now increase" in value.
Brown announced his resignation hours after that email exchange.
The files also show Epstein transferred $75,000 in 2003 and 2004 to accounts connected to Mandelson or his husband.
Police raided two of Mandelson's homes Friday as part of a criminal investigation into misconduct in public office.
Morgan McSweeney Resignation Triggers Cabinet Crisis
Morgan McSweeney – Starmer's chief of staff and the architect of Labour's 2024 landslide victory – resigned Sunday after admitting he recommended Mandelson for the diplomatic post.
McSweeney said the decision was "wrong" and that Mandelson "damaged our party, our country and trust in politics itself."
Within 24 hours, communications director Tim Allan also quit.
Their departures signal what everyone in British politics now understands – this scandal isn't going away, and staying close to Starmer means going down with him.
Monday brought the real knife.
Anas Sarwar Calls For Keir Starmer To Resign Over Labour Party Scandal
Anas Sarwar – Scottish Labour leader and until this week a Starmer ally – called a hastily arranged press conference in Glasgow.
"The distraction needs to end and the leadership in Downing Street has to change," Sarwar announced.
He's the most senior Labour figure to demand Starmer's resignation.
Sarwar framed it as protecting Scotland from a third decade of Scottish National Party rule, claiming Starmer's scandal would cost Labour the May elections to Scottish Parliament.
Labour is currently polling third in Scotland – behind the SNP and Reform UK.
Sarwar said he informed Starmer of his decision before going public, and the two "disagreed."
He refused to endorse any replacement candidate.
The timing matters – Sarwar calculated Starmer cannot recover before Scotland's election in three months.
They're cutting him loose to save themselves.
UK Prime Minister Misconduct Investigation Pattern Mirrors Past Labour Collapses
Mandelson already resigned twice from previous Labour governments over financial scandals – once involving an undeclared loan in 1998, again over the Hinduja passport affair in 2001.
Starmer admitted last week he knew about Mandelson's friendship with Epstein during the vetting process but claimed Mandelson "lied repeatedly" about the extent of their contact.
Either Starmer failed to properly vet his most important diplomatic appointment, or he knew the risks and appointed Mandelson anyway.
Neither explanation works.
The parallels to past Labour collapses are impossible to miss – Tony Blair faced the "Cash for Honours" scandal in 2006 before being forced out in 2007, Gordon Brown hemorrhaged Cabinet ministers in 2009 before losing power in 2010.
Starmer won a landslide victory just 18 months ago.
British Government Document Release Could Expose Cabinet Office Warnings
Starmer agreed last week to release all government emails and documents related to Mandelson's appointment.
The Guardian reports – citing well-placed sources – these files will show the Cabinet Office warned about grave reputational risks of handing Mandelson the ambassadorship.
If that's accurate, Starmer approved the appointment despite explicit warnings from his own government's vetting process.
The document release could happen this week.
It may also include previously secret communications about how London planned to approach Donald Trump's administration.
If those messages become public, they could damage Starmer's relationship with the American president.
Starmer faces his Parliamentary Labour Party Monday evening in what's being described as a showdown over his leadership.
More than half his Cabinet publicly backed him Monday afternoon as Sarwar spoke – David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Yvette Cooper, and others rushed to social media declaring support.
When Cabinet ministers feel compelled to publicly announce they're not abandoning the Prime Minister, the Prime Minister is in trouble.
Fire Brigades Union general secretary Steve Wright called for Starmer to resign.
Transport Salaried Staffs' Association general secretary Maryam Eslamdoust told The Telegraph there's "no case for waiting until May, given the scale of defeat we are facing."
Two unnamed Cabinet ministers told The Times that Starmer was "weaker" and "could stand down at any moment" – though Downing Street called that "categorically untrue."
Starmer won power 18 months ago promising scandal-free, competent government after years of Conservative chaos.
He's now losing two top aides in 24 hours, watching his Scottish operation turn against him, and preparing to release documents that may prove he ignored warnings about the Epstein connection.
Former Home Secretary David Blunkett warned Labour against acting "like ferrets in a sack."
Too late.
The ferrets are already fighting, and Starmer just lost the biggest one.
Sources:
- Efrat Lachter, "As Epstein-linked appointment sparks backlash, UK PM Starmer faces party revolt amid resignation calls," Fox News, February 9, 2026.
- "Why the Epstein scandal is Keir Starmer's most perilous moment yet after chief of staff resigns," NBC News, February 7, 2026.
- Anna Cunningham, "How the Epstein files unravelled a senior British politician's career," CBC News, February 4, 2026.
- "UK PM's chief of staff resigns over Mandelson's appointment as US ambassador despite Epstein links," CNN, February 8, 2026.
- "How much trouble is Keir Starmer in?" The Conversation, February 9, 2026.
- "Anas Sarwar calls for Keir Starmer to resign," New Statesman, February 9, 2026.
- "Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar calls for Keir Starmer to step down," The Irish Times, February 9, 2026.