Will UK PM Keir Starmer step down after Tim Allan's resignation amid Jeffrey Epstein scandal?

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is continuing with his duties and has no intention of stepping aside, his spokesperson said on Monday, according to Reuters.

"The prime minister is ... getting on with the task of delivering change across the country," the spokesperson told reporters, answering "no" when asked whether Starmer was planning to stand down, as per the report.

Earlier in the day, Keir Starmer’s communications chief, Tim Allan, resigned, stating he was stepping aside to allow a new team to support the British leader, who faces criticism over his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States.

Allan's departure comes just a day after Starmer's closest aide, Morgan McSweeney, resigned, saying he took responsibility for pushing the appointment of Mandelson, whose close links to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have raised questions about Starmer's judgment and his ability to govern, Reuters reported.

Keir Starmer's statement

Starmer addressed staff at his Downing Street office, urging them to stay united. "We must prove that politics can be a force for good," he told them, as reported by Reuters.

“I believe it can. I believe it is. We go forward from here. We go with confidence as we continue changing the country.”

Instead, another resignation did little to ease tensions or silence calls for Starmer to resign.

Meanwhile, British government borrowing costs rose, reflecting investor worries about the future trajectory of the Labour government’s fiscal policy.

Opposition Conservative Party leader calls Starmer ‘plastic bag’

After agreeing with McSweeney on Sunday that it was the right time for a change, Starmer had hoped to reset the narrative and refocus on key issues he has struggled to prioritise—tackling the cost of living crisis and boosting the British economy, Reuters reported.

Meanwhile, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch accused Starmer of being incapable of effectively running the government.

"He's like a plastic bag blowing in the wind. We need him to get a grip, and if he can't do it, then someone else in the Labour Party needs to do that, or they should have an election," Badenoch told Sky News.

Starmer had hoped that Allan, appointed in September to strengthen a struggling Downing Street operation, would help the government gain more favourable coverage in the British media.

However, the former adviser to ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair frequently faced criticism for being slow to make decisions.

“I have decided to stand down to allow a new No.10 (Downing Street) team to be built. I wish the PM and his team every success,” Allan said in a statement.

Starmer to meet lawmakers — here's why

The new scandal involving Peter Mandelson, who was dismissed as ambassador to the United States in September, emerged after the US Justice Department released files last month that contained emails suggesting he may have shared information with Epstein about potential UK asset sales and tax changes during the financial crash.

Mandelson has stated he does not recall receiving any payments. He has not publicly addressed the allegations of leaking documents, Reuters reported.

Starmer is set to meet Labour lawmakers later on Monday to address anger over Mandelson’s appointment and to silence calls for his resignation, Reuters reported.

On the departure of McSweeney, one Labour lawmaker described it as "politically tone deaf," suggesting on condition of anonymity that he should have resigned when the new allegations came out last week, rather than dragging it out "to see if he could survive".

Mandelson is now under police investigation for alleged misconduct in office.

Starmer has defended his own actions, accusing Mandelson of creating a "litany of deceit" about his Epstein ties and promising to release documents on how he was appointed.

(With inputs from agencies)