Prøve GULL - Gratis
Sacking McSweeney could make things worse for PM
The Independent
|September 13, 2025
Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney has long been pulling the strings behind the scenes in Downing Street.
-
With reset after reset seeing government officials booted out and replaced, Mr McSweeney has remained - even winning a power struggle with former chief of staff Sue Gray. But now - amid the fallout from revelations about Peter Mandelson's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and his subsequent sacking - the Downing Street spinner is facing his biggest test yet, amid claims he pushed for Lord Mandelson to be appointed in the first place.
There are also reports Mr McSweeney pushed for the Labour grandee to remain in post as pressure grew this week - allegations Downing Street has robustly pushed back against.
Regardless, there are now questions over whether or not Mr McSweeney is the right man for the job, with former Labour home secretary David Blunkett calling on Sir Keir to "widen the circle" of people around him.
Denne historien er fra September 13, 2025-utgaven av The Independent.
Abonner på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av kuraterte premiumhistorier og over 9000 magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
FLERE HISTORIER FRA The Independent
The Independent
Hamilton seeks reset after his 'worst' F1 season ever
Lewis Hamilton, at the conclusion of his 19th and worst season in Formula One, could not have been more unambiguous. “No one’s going to be able to get hold of me this winter,” he said, after the season finale in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
4 mins
December 15, 2025
The Independent
‘To me, the song is like a fine wine, it grows on you’
As a recording of the first live performance of 'Fairytale of New York' is released, producer Steve Lillywhite reflects on what makes the song so special.
3 mins
December 15, 2025
The Independent
Can we trust banks to tell us how to get rich by investing?
Sharp sales practices by dodgy blokes in shiny suits have been responsible for a long and sorry list of scandals costing billions.
3 mins
December 15, 2025
The Independent
Own goal decides derby as North East rivalry renewed
In victory, there was one last act of revenge for Sunderland players to perform against the North East rivals they love to torment in the Premier League.
4 mins
December 15, 2025
The Independent
Top 10 TV shows of 2025
Nick Hilton and Patrick Smith count down the greatest television this year had to offer, from agenda-setting dramas to poignant documentaries and irresistible reality TV
5 mins
December 15, 2025
The Independent
PAY ATTENTION
From shrinking attention spans to the rise of 'brain rot' content, Helen Coffey looks at why concentration is sagging and what experts say might restore our ability to think deeply
9 mins
December 15, 2025
The Independent
A round of applause for a mocked festive tradition
The round robin was once a festive failsafe, but has sadly died out. Now that oversharing and humble bragging are rife on social media, Katie Rosseinsky asks if it's time to revive them
4 mins
December 15, 2025
The Independent
Why is Gen Z so obsessed with 'almost relationships'?
Nothing is as romantic as a relationship that never quite happened. Preserved in possibility, it’s a near-miss dynamic that exists in an exclusively liminal space; you’re not quite together, but there’s enough evidence to suggest that one day, were all the stars to suddenly align, you might be. And so you cling on, wondering, waiting, hoping.
2 mins
December 15, 2025
The Independent
'We must do what we can to support those affected – so many must be frightened'
Philanthropist boosts The Independent's SafeCall campaign
2 mins
December 15, 2025
The Independent
Egypt hoping for a tourism boost from restored statues
Egypt has officially unveiled meticulously restored colossal statues of an ancient pharaoh in the southern city of Luxor – an event designed to bolster the nation’s vital tourism sector.
2 mins
December 15, 2025
Listen
Translate
Change font size