British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing one of the most serious crises of his premiership after a cascade of resignations, renewed scrutiny over his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador to Washington and mounting unrest inside the ruling Labour Party ahead of a critical meeting of Members of Parliament Monday evening.

On Monday, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar became the most senior party figure to call for Keir Starmer’s resignation, saying “the distraction needs to end and the leadership in Downing Street has to change,” according to the Associated Press. His intervention piles fresh pressure on the prime minister.

At the center of the crisis are newly publicized materials detailing Mandelson’s links to Jeffrey Epstein, revelations that have reshaped the political stakes and triggered questions about vetting at the highest levels of government. Documents cited by Fox News Digital report Mandelson maintained contact with Epstein after his 2008 conviction, and that Epstein transferred about $75,000 in 2003 and 2004 to accounts connected to Mandelson or his husband.

KEIR STARMER’S CHIEF OF STAFF RESIGNS AFTER RECOMMENDING EPSTEIN-CONNECTED AMBASSADOR

Morgan McSweeney, Starmer’s chief of staff and one of the most influential figures inside Downing Street, stepped down on Sunday after acknowledging his role in recommending Mandelson for the diplomatic post. In a resignation statement obtained by The Guardian, McSweeney said the decision was “wrong” and accepted responsibility, calling his departure the “only honorable course.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, right, talks with Britain’s ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson during a welcome reception at the ambassador’s residence in Washington, on Feb. 26, 2025. (Carl Court/Pool Photo via AP)

The pressure intensified hours later when Tim Allan, the prime minister’s director of communications, also resigned, according to GB News. Allan, a veteran New Labour strategist, became the second senior aide to exit as the political fallout deepened.

Dr. John Hemmings, director of the National Security Center at the Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital the prime minister is now under escalating political pressure and that “it’s unclear as to whether he’ll survive.”

“Prime Minister Starmer is coming under ever-increasing political pressure to resign here in London in the wake of the scandal around Lord Mandelson — his appointed Ambassador to the United States — and his connection to Jeffrey Epstein. He has lost two close aides and is under attack for his China foreign policy. The Chagos Deal is under scrutiny and his trip to Beijing was largely viewed as devoid of real results,” Hemmings said.

Alan Mendoza, executive director of the Henry Jackson Society, added: “It is extraordinary to be in a situation where a Prime Minister who won a landslide general election victory only 20 months ago is now on the verge of being forced to resign. We are here as a result of a series of policy U-turns and bad judgment calls culminating in the Lord Mandelson debacle. His fate is now ultimately in the hands of the Parliamentary Labour Party tonight. If he feels he no longer has their confidence then there is every chance that this will be the end of Keir Starmer.”

STARMER CALLS ON EX-PRINCE ANDREW TO TESTIFY BEFORE CONGRESS AFTER LATEST EPSTEIN RELEASE

Then-Britain’s ambassador to the United States, Peter Mandelson, speaks during a welcome reception for British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, at the ambassador’s residence on Feb. 26, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Carl Court/Pool via Reuters)

Starmer has sought to contain the damage, saying he regrets the appointment. In remarks reported by GB News on Monday, the prime minister said: “I have been absolutely clear that I regret the decision that I made to appoint Peter Mandelson. And I’ve apologized to the victims, which is the right thing to do.” He added that scandals of this kind risk undermining public faith in politics.

The prime minister now faces a showdown with Labour lawmakers, with backbench MPs expected to challenge his leadership at a party meeting Monday evening U.K. time. A senior Labour MP told GB News the “clock is ticking” and called for decisive action to “cleanse politics.”

Downing Street has insisted Starmer will not resign despite the double departure. A spokesperson told journalists that the prime minister is “getting on with the job in hand and delivering change across the country,” remains “upbeat and confident,” and retains cabinet support.

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Peter Mandelson sits with late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as he blows out the candles on a cake, in an undated photograph released by the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., U.S., on December 19, 2025 as part of a trove of documents from its investigations into Epstein.  (U.S. Justice Department/Handout via Reuters)

The political damage, however, extends beyond staffing turmoil. Mandelson was withdrawn from the ambassador role after additional details about his relationship with Epstein emerged, and he resigned from the Labour Party earlier this month, leaving Starmer confronting what experts describe as the most acute test of his leadership since taking office.

Fox News Digital’s Ashley Carnahan and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Last Updated:February 09, 2026, 21:19 IST

ICC will reconsider playing India in the T20 World Cup 2026. According to the report, the PCB Chief has taken this decision after a meeting with the President of Bangladesh Cricket Board. It is believed that Mohsin Naqvi will talk to PM Shahbaz Sharif for the match with India to be held on February 15.

India-Pakistan match to be played on 15th February

The CCTV system at the home of an ex-head gamekeeper accused of murdering a man with a shotgun went off on the morning of the alleged crime, a court has heard.

Jurors at the trial of David Campbell, 77, were also shown footage which twice showed him placing duct tape over a doorbell camera at his home on the day of the alleged murder.

Prosecutors are claiming Campbell gunned down former colleague Brian Low, 65, on a remote track near Aberfeldy, Perthshire, on 16 February 2024.

Campbell has pleaded not guilty to eight charges, and has lodged a special defence of alibi in connection with the murder accusation – claiming he was at home at the time of the alleged shooting.

Both men had worked at Edradynate Estate, where Campbell was head gamekeeper between May 1984 and February 2018 and Mr Low was a groundsman between August 2000 and February 2023.

On Monday, the High Court in Glasgow heard from Detective Constable David Gardiner, who was CCTV officer in the case.

Jurors were shown footage taken from the CCTV camera at Campbell’s home showing his vehicle driving away from the property at about 7.11am on 16 February 2024.

He was then seen parking near and walking towards an owned property in Aberfeldy’s Dunkeld Street, then coming back towards his vehicle at 7.31am apparently carrying a bag which he placed in the motor.

Prosecutor Greg Farrell asked DC Gardiner what the suspect was carrying, to which the officer replied: “It appears to be a bag, potentially a long, thinnish bag.”

The court was shown footage of Campbell’s car returning to his home at 7.35am and of him walking towards his house.

DC Gardiner agreed with the prosecutor that Campbell appeared to look directly at the CCTV camera.

Mr Farrell asked: “From your understanding is there any CCTV footage captured after 10.09am on 16 February?”

DC Gardiner replied: “Not from that CCTV hard drive.”

Read more from the trial:
Man accused of shotgun murder ‘loathed victim’
Alleged killer thought murder victim was trying to ‘set him up’

The officer said it was his understanding that the CCTV system went off at 10.09am.

Jurors were also shown footage of Campbell approaching the doorbell camera and placing duct tape over it at 7.35am.

The court heard that the tape had been removed by 10.13am, but jurors were shown footage of Campbell approaching it with more duct tape at 11.10am.

Mr Farrell said: “So, the doorbell camera is covered by the accused at 11.10am and we don’t have any more footage from that till about 7.30pm?” to which DC Gardiner agreed.

The court was also shown CCTV footage of a cyclist with a bag on his back heading out of Aberfeldy at about 4.12pm on 16 February.

DC Gardiner said the bike had similarities to one belonging to Campbell’s wife, which the court was previously shown an image of.

He also said the clothing worn by the cyclist appeared to be similar to what Campbell was wearing earlier in the day.

Mr Farrell said the cyclist was seen on CCTV at 4.18pm but that the cyclist, if it is the same person, is then not captured on CCTV until 5.01pm.

The prosecutor pointed out that activity on Mr Low’s phone stopped about half an hour after the cyclist disappeared from view.

He said: “So, that’s between 4.18pm and 5.01pm that cyclist is out of sight. The jury know that all activity on Brian Low’s phone stopped at 4.52pm.”

CCTV captured on 17 February appeared to show Campbell leaving his house and waving to the camera at about 8.07am.

Jurors were then shown footage which showed his car driving out of Aberfeldy and returning to his home at about 9.10am.

The court was also shown doorbell footage from about 11.31am on the same day which showed a utility area in Campbell’s house, where a box with a black and white design was seen.

DC Gardiner told the court: “It was found to be a box that was made for shipping shotgun cartridges.”

The trial, before Lord Scott, continues.

New revelations are being made in the Epstein files every day. Secret documents related to Jeffrey Epstein have created a stir all over the world. The US Justice Department released documents of about 3 million pages, after which more than 15 senior officials in 10 countries resigned. Investigation is going on against more than 80 powerful people. These files include the names of leaders, ambassadors, billionaires and royal families. In many cases, there are also allegations of sexual exploitation of minor girls. This includes many big names like US President Donald Trump, former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton. The name of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has also been added to these and the matter has escalated so much that the demand for his resignation has gained momentum.

Is Storm’s name in the Epstein files?

The news is that the Labor Party is in no mood to forgive Keir Starmer. Because of this, there is speculation about his resignation, even though it has been only 18 months since he became the Prime Minister. Stormer’s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney resigned on 8 February 2026. Morgan has connections to the Epstein files. Starmer is not directly named in these files, but he is accused of appointing Peter Mandelson, who had links to Jeffrey Epstein, as Britain’s ambassador to the US. It was Morgan who suggested appointing Peter.

Is Starmer ready to resign?

Keir Starmer’s spokesman said in a statement on 9 February 2026, ‘After addressing staff this morning, Starmer’s mood is upbeat and full of confidence.’ The spokesperson also denied that the Prime Minister had been considering his post for the past few days. He insisted, ‘This is not the Prime Minister who appeared before the employees this morning. He is engaged in working to bring change in the entire country. It is clear that he is working hard day and night to complete this work. Starmer is confident that he has the unanimous support of the cabinet.

During this time, the statement of 10 Downing Street in London has also come out. The Street says Keir Starmer is not resigning and will ‘focus on his current work’.

The Epstein files became a cause of diplomatic and political embarrassment for the governments of many countries. British PM Starmer had to apologize, while the British police has started a ‘fresh review’ against Prince Andrew on the basis of new files.

Epstein files create uproar in Europe

• Ambassador to Norway Mona Juel was suspended and a corruption investigation began against former PM Thorbjorn Jagland. Senior diplomat Terje Rode-Larsen is also under investigation.
• Official summons has been issued to former minister Jack Lang in France. Poland, Latvia and Turkey created special teams to investigate official collusion with human trafficking.
• In Slovakia, former Foreign Minister and National Security Advisor Miroslav Lychak has resigned after more than 300 emails and objectionable chats came to light.
• Sweden’s senior diplomat Joanna Rubinstein has stepped down.

The House Oversight Committee’s deposition of Ghislaine Maxwell ended less than an hour after it began on Monday morning, when the convicted accomplice of the late Jeffrey Epstein pleaded the Fifth Amendment.

Maxwell appeared before lawmakers virtually for a closed-door interview in the House bipartisan probe into the federal government’s handling of Epstein’s case.

She is currently serving out a 20-year sentence at a Texas prison.

NEW GHISLAINE MAXWELL MUGSHOT INCLUDED IN DOJ’S LATEST EPSTEIN FILES RELEASE

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer led a deposition of Ghislaine Maxwell behind closed doors on Monday morning. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images; Sylvain Gaboury/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)

Both House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., a member of the committee, said they expected Maxwell to plead the Fifth Amendment in the lead-up to her scheduled sit-down.

The former British socialite was found guilty in December 2021 of being an accomplice in Epstein’s scheme to sexually traffic and exploit female minors.

The DOJ said at the time of her sentencing that Maxwell “enticed and groomed minor girls to be abused in multiple ways.”

DEMOCRATS SAY CLINTONS’ AGREEMENT TO TESTIFY UNDERCUTS SUBPOENA PUSH, WON’T BRING NEW EPSTEIN ANSWERS

Jeffrey Epstein photographed in New York City on Feb. 23, 2011. (David McGlynn)

Comer announced lawmakers would hear from Maxwell late last month during a meeting on holding former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress for refusing to appear for his Epstein probe.

“We’ve been trying to get her in for a deposition. Our lawyers have been saying that she’s going to plead the Fifth, but we have nailed down a date, Feb. 9, where Ghislaine Maxwell will be deposed by this committee,” Comer said at the time.

Contempt proceedings against the Clintons stalled, however, after they agreed via their attorneys to appear in person on Capitol Hill just days before the full House of Representatives was expected to vote on referring the pair to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for criminal charges.

Former President Bill Clinton speaks onstage during the Clinton Global Initiative meeting at New York Hilton Midtown on Sept. 18, 2023, in New York City. (Noam Galai/Getty Images for Clinton Global Initiative)

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Comer’s team had been in a back-and-forth with Maxwell’s attorney for months trying to nail down a date for her to speak to committee lawyers.

He agreed to delay her previous planned deposition in August after her lawyer asked him to wait until after the Supreme Court decided whether it would hear her appeal. The Supreme Court turned down Maxwell’s case in October.

She and the Clintons’ depositions are part of the House Oversight Committee’s months-long probe into how the government handled Epstein’s case. 

The revelations of the Epstein files have created a strange stir around the world. Political changes are also being seen after the names of many industrialists and politicians have come forward. Its effect is also visible in the politics of United Kingdom i.e. UK. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s chair is on the verge of falling.

In such a situation, the discussion is in full swing in Westminster as to who is the next Prime Minister of UK after Starmer? However, everyone’s focus has become on the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood. If this happens, the UK will get its first Prime Minister who comes from the Muslim community. Shabana Mahmood is being considered as the main contender from the Labor Party.

Let us know, who is Shabana Mehmood?
Shabana Mahmood, who is on the threshold of 45 years of age, is a lawyer and politician. She is a key ally of Starmer. He is known as an influential speaker in the party and an important leader of the right wing faction.

Born in Birmingham, Shabana’s parents’ names are Zubaida and Mahmood Ahmed. His roots are from Mirpur city of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. In 2025, he was included in the Home Ministry. At present she looks after the border security management of UK.

He obtained a law degree from Lincoln College, Oxford in 2002. The next year, he did a bar vocational course at the Inns of Court School of Law. Then she became a barrister professionally. She was elected MP in 2010.

Which other leaders are in the race for the post of Prime Minister?

Apart from Shabana, the name of former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rainer is also included in the race for the post of Prime Minister. Apart from these, the name of Wes Streetting, who is a Health Secretary. Also connected with the media. Ed Miliband, who has been Energy Secretary and former leader of the Labor Party. Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is also said to be among the contenders for the post of Prime Minister.

What is the matter related to Epstein files, why is Starmer’s chair in danger?

In fact, Starmer’s Prime Ministership is in crisis after the revelations of the Epstein files. Starmer appointed Peter Mandelson as UK Ambassador to America. Recently, Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein has been exposed in the Epstein file. This has created an uproar within the ruling party of the UK. At the same time, the matter has become more serious, because Starmer’s closest aide and Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney has also resigned, taking the responsibility of Mandelson’s appointment.