The Epstein case has put British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the edge of the abyss. The pressure for him to resign is multiplying after the resignation of his chief of staff and Downing Street’s director of communications, and after the leader of the Labor Party in Scotland, Anas Sarwar, has openly called for his departure.
The controversy arose over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as the United Kingdom’s ambassador to the United States. Mandelson was forced to resign after his ties to Jeffrey Epstein came to light. Morgan McSweeney, Starmer’s chief of staff, resigned for recommending the ambassador.
The prime minister is trying to contain the internal bleeding and his priority is to avoid a vote of confidence within his own party. To do this, he has called a closed-door meeting with Labor deputies, from whom he has asked for time to manage what is already considered the worst scandal of his Government since it came to power in 2024.
Labor Party collapse in the polls
On the eve of elections in May, including those of the Scottish Parliament, where the Labor Party has gone from first place to third in the polls. This collapse explains, in part, the forcefulness of Anas Sarwar, who has called for Starmer’s resignation, considering that the Epstein case is seriously weighing down the party.
For now, the cabinet’s heavyweights continue to close ranks around the prime minister, but the pressure continues to grow and his political future is increasingly uncertain. For many leaders and analysts, this controversy is the last straw for a leadership that, despite the comfortable absolute majority, has failed to consolidate or stop the rise of right-wing populism.
Starmer arrived at Downing Street with the promise of returning ethics and seriousness to British politics after the scandals of the Boris Johnson era. However, the Epstein case has hit directly. The Prime Minister himself has publicly regretted having believed Mandelson’s explanations and has asked the British for “sincere forgiveness”, although it remains to be seen whether this gesture will be enough to save him.
The case threatens to devour Starmer, chosen precisely as a politician “of process and not conviction”, called to respect the rules and distance himself from corruption. The fall of top figures, including a member of the British royal family like Prince Andrew, reinforces the idea that the political consequences may not have been exhausted.
Despite everything, Starmer assured this Monday that he is “not willing” to resign as prime minister, despite growing internal pressures. The question now is whether the Labor Party will give him the time he asks for or whether the Epstein case will end up precipitating his departure.
