Who is Morgan McSweeney? Starmer’s former right-hand man set to face Mandelson scandal grilling
Morgan McSweeney, former chief of staff to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, is set to testify before the Foreign Affairs Committee regarding the controversial appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson as US ambassador. McSweeney resigned in February, taking responsibility for advising the appointment despite alleged knowledge of Mandelson's ties to Jeffrey Epstein. The scandal centers on claims that Mandelson failed security vetting but was appointed anyway, prompting calls for reform of the vetting process.
- ▪Morgan McSweeney was considered the driving force behind Lord Peter Mandelson's appointment as US ambassador.
- ▪McSweeney resigned as Starmer's chief of staff, taking full responsibility for the appointment decision.
- ▪He is alleged to have known about Mandelson's continued dealings with Jeffrey Epstein after Epstein's conviction.
- ▪Former Foreign Office chief Sir Olly Robbins was dismissed after stating he did not inform the prime minister about the vetting issues.
- ▪McSweeney has called for a fundamental overhaul of the government's vetting system to prevent future failures.
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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…
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