LONDON — Anas Sarwar, head of the Scottish Labour Party, demanded on Monday that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer step down, marking the sharpest public rebuke yet from within Labour ranks over the explosive Mandelson-Epstein controversy.
Starmer faces intensifying party unrest following his appointment of Peter Mandelson as U.S. ambassador, a move now under fire after files released 10 days ago exposed deep connections between Mandelson and the late Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender. Critics question Starmer’s vetting process, with recent polls showing his approval ratings plummeting less than two years after Labour’s sweeping election win.
Sarwar, speaking ahead of crucial Scottish parliamentary elections in May that could test Starmer’s influence north of the border, declared at a press conference: “The distraction needs to end, and the leadership in Downing Street has to change.
“In a bid to contain the damage, Starmer’s chief of staff and communications director both resigned within the last day, aiming to let the prime minister move past the scandal. Yet, as Scottish Labour MPs brace for the vote, the rift highlights deepening fractures in Starmer’s post-landslide mandate.