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‘Not prepared to walk away’: Starmer refuses to step to down as UK PM amid fallout triggered by Epstein row
The uproar that Keir Starmer is facing comes amid a string of resignations over Epstein documents, including that Tim Allan and Morgan McSweeney.
United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who currently finds himself in the middle of a crisis triggered by the links of his former official with US’ convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, braved the uproar on Monday and appeared firm on his stance that he will not step down from his role and “responsibility” to his country.
Starmer is facing heat, including from some members of his own party, over his appointment of Peter Mandelson as UK’ ambassador to the United States in 2024 despite his known links to Epstein, particularly amid uproar over the recently released Epstein documents.
Also read: UK royal family ‘ready to support’ police probe into ex-Prince Andrew's links with Epstein
‘Too many mistakes’
Some members of Starmer’s Labour Party called for him to resign as UK’s PM over his decision to appoint Mandelson for such a critical official post.
Anas Sarwar, the leader of Scotland’s Labour Party, said on Monday that the UK leadership needs to change after “too many mistakes”.
“There have been too many mistakes," he said. "The distraction needs to end and the leadership in Downing Street has to change," he added.
Also read: Ghislaine Maxwell entered the US on Epstein-sponsored H-1B visa, years before scandal
‘Not prepared to walk away’
However, despite the calls to step down and mounting criticism, Starmer said on Monday that he is “not prepared” to do so.
Addressing a meeting of Labour lawmakers in the Parliament, Starmer said, “Every fight I have ever been in, I've won.”
"After having fought so hard for the chance to change our country, I'm not prepared to walk away from my mandate and my responsibility to my country, or to plunge us into chaos, as others have done.”
“That is my fight, that is all of our fight, and we're in this together,” he added.
In response to Sarwar’s call for a leadership change in Downing Street, a Labour Party spokesperson said that Starmer had "a clear five-year mandate from the British people to deliver change, and that is what he will do".
Starmer on Monday also took a firm stance against Reform UK party, saying that it would “tear this beautiful country apart" and called that his party's efforts to keep them at bay “the fight of our times.”
“As long as I have breath in my body, I'll be in that fight,” the UK PM said.
String of resignations
The uproar that Starmer is facing comes amid a string of resignations over Epstein documents, including that of UK’s communications chief Tim Allan and the PM’s close aide and former Downing Street Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney.
McSweeney resigned on Sunday and took responsibility for advising Starmer to pick Mandelson for the diplomatic role. A day after, on Monday, Allan also stepped down and said, “I have decided to stand down to allow a new No10 team to be built. I wish the PM and his team every success.”
Show of support for Starmer
Even after Sarwar, a senior member of the Labour Party, made the call for Starmer to step down, several other party members moved to show support to the UK PM, including his deputy, David Lammy, finance minister Rachel Reeves, foreign secretary Yvette Cooper, and others.
Lammy, deputy UK PM, wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter), "We should let nothing distract us from our mission to change Britain and we support the Prime Minister in doing that."
“Labour is only getting started on changing things for the better - our Employment Rights Act, renters’ rights, leasehold reform, free school meals and lifting kids out of poverty. I urge all my colleagues to come together, remember our values and put them into practice as a team. The Prime Minister has my full support in leading us to that end.
UK’s former deputy PM Angela Rayner said that even though the recent scandal around Peter Mandelson and Jeffrey Epstein was “shocking”, the Labour Party “is only getting started on changing things for the better - our Employment Rights Act, renters’ rights, leasehold reform, free school meals and lifting kids out of poverty.”
“I urge all my colleagues to come together, remember our values and put them into practice as a team. The Prime Minister has my full support in leading us to that end,” she said.
UK foreign secretary Yvette Cooper sought to highlight Starmer’s upcoming visit to Munich Security Conference later this week and said, “At this crucial time for the world, we need his leadership not just at home but on the global stage, and we need to keep our focus where it matters, on keeping our country safe.”
‘I am sorry’
Mandelson was fired from his post as ambassador to the United States last year after some Epstein documents showed that he maintained contact with the sex offender even after his conviction on child sex abuse charges in 2008.
Now, a barrage of Epstein documents released by the US department of justice on January 30 have put more light into ties between Mandelson and Epstein, sparking the fresh uproar and political crisis in the United Kingdom.
Last week on Thursday, Starmer apologised to the Epstein victims who he said "have seen accountability delayed and too often denied to them".
"I am sorry," said Starmer.
"Sorry for what was done to you, sorry that so many people with power failed you, sorry for having believed Mandelson's lies and appointed him," he added.
Starmer also promised to unveil documents that would show that Mandelson misled the UK government about his ties to Epstein, however, it is not yet known when these documents will be made public. For now, Mandelson is facing a police probe for allegedly providing Epstein with critical UK government information some decade and a half ago.
(With inputs from AP, Reuters)
