UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is facing renewed pressure after his director of communications resigned on Monday, just a day after his chief of staff stepped down, triggering fresh questions about stability at the heart of Downing Street. The back-to-back departures of two senior aides have intensified political scrutiny of the Labour government and its handling of a controversial diplomatic appointment.
Tim Allan, Starmer’s director of communications, confirmed his resignation in a brief statement, saying he was stepping aside to allow the prime minister to rebuild his senior team. Allan, a former journalist and communications adviser who previously worked with Tony Blair, had only been in the role for a few months. His exit marks another change in No 10’s communications operation since Labour came to power, underscoring ongoing challenges in managing the government’s public messaging.
Allan’s departure followed the resignation on Sunday of Morgan McSweeney, Starmer’s chief of staff and a key political strategist. McSweeney accepted responsibility for advising on the appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador to the United States, a decision that sparked controversy after renewed attention to Mandelson’s past links with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. Although Mandelson had already left the post, the issue has continued to cause political fallout.
Sir Keir Starmer sought to reassure staff and the public amid the turmoil, telling colleagues that politics should be a “force for good” and insisting that the government remained focused on delivering its agenda. Downing Street sources said the prime minister had no intention of resigning and described the changes as part of a necessary reset of his top team rather than a wider leadership crisis.
Opposition figures have seized on the rapid resignations as evidence of poor judgment and instability, while some Labour MPs have privately expressed concern about the impact on the government’s credibility. For now, Starmer faces the task of restoring confidence in his leadership as he moves to appoint new senior advisers and steady his administration after a turbulent few days at the centre of power.
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