Who is Morgan McSweeney? Starmer’s former right-hand man set to face Mandelson scandal grilling

NewsUKUK PoliticsWho is Morgan McSweeney? Starmer’s former right-hand man set to face Mandelson scandal grillingStarmer’s right-hand man was considered the driving force behind Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassadorJonathan Bunn & Maira ButtTuesday 28 April 2026 08:19 BSTBookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popover{"translations":{"comments":"Go to comments","share":"Share","copyLink":"Copy link","bookmark":"Bookmark","removeBookmark":"Remove bookmark"},"showComments":true,"showBookmark":true,"articleId":"CF1:2962827To1","articleMeta":{"url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/morgan-mcsweeney-mandelson-starmer-epstein-who-b2966167.html","title":"Who is Morgan McSweeney? Starmer’s former right-hand man to face Mandelson grilling"}}How the Mandelson vetting scandal unfolded after The Independent’s revelation was publishedYour support helps us to tell the storyRead moreSupport NowFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read more{}Sir Keir Starmer’s former chief of staff Morgan McSweeney is set to appear before the Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday to face questions over the Lord Peter Mandelson vetting scandal.Mr McSweeney, widely regarded as a protege of Lord Mandelson, was considered the driving force behind his appointment to the role of US ambassador.His appearance follows that of former Foreign Office chief Sir Olly Robbins, who was sacked by the prime minister earlier this month after claiming that he had not told the PM about the details of the vetting decision.if (document.cookie.split(';').some(cookie => cookie.trim() === '__DEBUG__=true')) { console.log('Ad logs: "mpu1", renderedAtParagraph: 3'); }if (document.cookie.split(';').some(cookie => cookie.trim() === '__DEBUG__=true')) { console.log('Ad logs: "mpu1", injectedAtParagraph: 3'); }Mr McSweeney resigned as Sir Keir’s chief of staff in February after taking “full responsibility” for advising the prime minister to make the appointment.He is alleged to have had knowledge about Mr Mandelson's continued dealings with Jeffrey Epstein after the financier’s conviction for child sex offences.open image in gallery{"id":"trigger-autogallery-42811","index":0}Mr McSweeney will appear before the Foreign Affairs Committee next week (Getty)As the prime minister’s right-hand man, Mr McSweeney was central to government strategy and decision-making. if (document.cookie.split(';').some(cookie => cookie.trim() === '__DEBUG__=true')) { console.log('Ad logs: "taboola-carousel-thumbnails", injectedAtParagraph: 6'); }He was consequently seen by some as responsible for Downing Street’s failed attempt to control…

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