Labour MPs are talking mutiny over Starmer’s ties to Mandelson

Keir Starmer notoriously made Peter Mandelson the ambassador to the US. We say ‘notoriously’ because at the point when Starmer hired Mandelson, he knew he’d maintained a friendship with Jeffrey Epstein after the late paedophile was convicted for sex crimes. As many predicted, this scandal eventually exploded, and in recent days has gone nuclear.

Now, Starmer’s MPs are starting to talk about mutiny. As one unnamed MP said to Sky News’s Alexandra Rogers:

Consistent failures by Morgan McSweeney have damaged our media operation and left the public unaware of much of what we’ve achieved in government.

The Mandelson saga has only made things worse, and if Keir doesn’t make changes soon, the PLP will.

We’ve had enough.

Mandelson’s creature

Morgan McSweeney is Keir Starmer’s chief of staff. As Paul Holden wrote in his book about Starmer’s rise to power (The Fraud):

McSweeney is a long-time protégé of Peter Mandelson, the architect of New Labour who, in February 2017, publicly bragged that he was “working every day” to bring down Corbyn’s elected leadership.

Holden also reported:

McSweeney joined Labour in the mid-1990s as a receptionist and then a member of the party’s media operations. During the 2001 election he was given the task of feeding data into Peter Mandelson’s famed Excalibur computer that stored information to be used by the party’s rebuttal unit.

This is what Mandelson – the “best pal” of paedophile Jeffrey Epstein – said about McSweeney:

I don’t know who and how and when he was invented, but whoever it was . . . they will find their place in heaven.

As Holden detailed, McSweeney used all manner of underhanded tactics to ensure Jeremy Corbyn lost in 2019, and that a malleable alternative took his place. That man was Keir Starmer, and this is what the public think of McSweeney’s vision:

Contrary to popular belief, Labour is not struggling in the polls because they're losing votes to Reform. Even if they recovered all the votes lost to Reform they'd still be on just 21%, down double digits since GE2024.

Instead, the bulk of votes lost have been to the LEFT.

— Stats for Lefties 🍉🏳️‍⚧️ (@LeftieStats) January 26, 2026

As people have highlighted, McSweeney was Mandelson’s champion in the Starmer government:

Morgan McSweeney pleaded with Starmer not to sack Mandelson, one of his political mentors.

Mandelson said whoever invented McSweeney would find their place in heaven.

They are truly awful people who should be nowhere near government. https://t.co/gYC5F010dF pic.twitter.com/Lu7GezM6qD

— James Wilson (@per_incuriam2) February 2, 2026

McSweeney appointed Mandelson against the wishes of the Trump administration and a series of red flags raised by US spooks. pic.twitter.com/FFlaNQ2l9C

— bat020 (@bat020) September 14, 2025

NEW:
* Could we see a crunch point as soon as tomorrow over Mandelson?
* Tories have an opposition day debate – could they force a vote on Mandelson vetting disclosure. Shadow cabinet sources tell me they're thinking about it
* Labour MPs tell me they COULD vote for it. They…

— Sam Coates Sky (@SamCoatesSky) February 3, 2026

It doesn’t end with McSweeney, though:

As the Guardian belatedly reported a couple of weeks ago, Peter Mandelson has been mentor or adviser to pretty much everyone connected to Keir Starmer's takeover of the Labour party – and to Starmer's likely right-wing successor, Wes Streeting pic.twitter.com/1fcSe7UOtw

— Nicholas Guyatt (@NicholasGuyatt) February 1, 2026

Criminal activity

The police are now considering an investigation into Mandelson:

🚨 NEW: The Met Police is now "reviewing" reports into Peter Mandelson's alleged misconduct of public office to determine if they "meet the criminal threshold for investigation"

— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) February 2, 2026

This is the benefit establishment insiders have, of course. If you or I stole a loaf of bread in full public view, the police wouldn’t weigh up the pros and cons of taking action; they would simply arrest us.

People are arguing that any investigation should also look at McSweeney:

The Mandelson affair ranks as the greatest political scandal of the last sixty years. Betrayal of party, principle, government and country. McSweeney’s emails and mobile (they spoke almost daily and who the cabinet must insist resigns) should be examined by the police. New lows.

— Will Hutton (@williamnhutton) February 2, 2026

And as this writer noted, there is no argument for giving McSweeney the boot but keeping Starmer:

This would be like sacrificing Rod Hull to save Emu https://t.co/Q2WMk2AucF

— Willem Moore (@willem_moore_uk) February 2, 2026

Featured image via Number 10