Pressure mounted on British Prime Minister Keir Starmer following the resignation of the chief civil servant on Thursday, and the resignation of two prominent aides earlier this week, due to the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington, despite his relationship with the convicted American financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Published on: 02/12/2026 - 23:58 Last updated: 02/13/2026 - 16:28
Britain's top civil servant submitted his resignation on Thursday, becoming the third senior aide to Prime Minister Keir Starmer to leave his post within days due to the scandal of American financier convicted of sex crimes Jeffrey Epstein.
According to a joint statement issued by the government, Chris Wormald will leave his position as Cabinet Minister and Head of the Civil Service “by mutual agreement, effective today.”
Two of Starmer's senior aides had also stepped down earlier this week, against the backdrop of the appointment of Peter Mandelson as Britain's ambassador to Washington, despite his relationship with Epstein.
Millions of documents revealed indicated the existence of emails proving the continuation of Mandelson's friendship with Epstein long after his conviction in 2008, making this case the most serious crisis that Starmer has experienced since he took office 19 months ago.
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In the context of resignations, Morgan McSweeney, Downing Street's chief of staff and one of the most prominent figures in the Labor Party, left his position on Sunday because he advised Starmer to appoint Mandelson.
As a result, Starmer found himself, after losing his closest aides, in a critical situation in which he was trying hard to maintain his position, especially after his other prominent aide, Tim Allan, head of the Communications Department, resigned on Monday, only a few months after assuming his duties.
Documents published by the US Department of Justice on January 30 also showed that Mandelson, while he was a minister, leaked confidential information to Epstein, including information related to the 2008 global financial crisis.
This information would increase the pressure on Starmer, and has prompted the police to open an investigation against the 72-year-old Mandelson on charges of misconduct in public office.
Read also: The Epstein case: Jack Lang “suggests” to resign from the presidency of the Arab World Institute after his relationship with Epstein was revealed
On the political level, Starmer's position as Prime Minister appeared threatened on Monday, after he lost his closest aides, as the leader of the Labor Party in Scotland, Anas Sarwar, called on him to resign.
However, a coordinated solidarity campaign by senior ministers helped prevent any government shake-up.
Starmer is also not very popular with public opinion, and lags in opinion polls behind the leader of the far-right British Reform Party, Nigel Farage, even though the next general elections are likely to be held in three years.
On top of that, Starmer faces difficult by-elections later this month, in addition to crucial local elections next May.
France 24/AFP
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