I made 'serious mistake' advising Starmer to appoint Mandelson, PM's ex-top adviser says
Morgan McSweeney, former chief of staff to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, admitted making a "serious mistake" in recommending Lord Mandelson's appointment as US ambassador, citing new revelations about Mandelson's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. McSweeney said he was unaware of the full extent of the relationship and believed Mandelson had been truthful during vetting. He denied pressuring officials to fast-track security clearance, though senior civil servants said Downing Street was dismissive of the process. Mandelson was later sacked after evidence emerged of a closer-than-disclosed connection to Epstein.
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I made 'serious mistake' advising Starmer to appoint Mandelson, PM's ex-top adviser says2 hours agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleBecky MortonPolitical reporter"Like a knife through my soul"; Morgan McSweeney on learning extent of Mandelson/Epstein relationshipThe PM's former chief of staff has said he made "a serious mistake" in recommending the appointment of Lord Mandelson as the UK's ambassador to the US.Morgan McSweeney, who resigned in February over the advice, said he felt the peer's experience as an EU trade envoy would help the UK secure a US trade deal.However, he told MPs on the Foreign Affairs Committee that after fresh revelations about Lord Mandelson's friendship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein emerged, it "dawned" on him that he had not given the…
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