{"id":648,"date":"2026-02-10T12:16:59","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T12:16:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dailypremiumbulletin.com\/?p=648"},"modified":"2026-02-10T12:16:59","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T12:16:59","slug":"a-coup-that-never-was-why-uks-starmer-faced-major-leadership-challenge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailypremiumbulletin.com\/a-coup-that-never-was-why-uks-starmer-faced-major-leadership-challenge\/","title":{"rendered":"A coup that never was: Why UK\u2019s Starmer faced major leadership challenge"},"content":{"rendered":"

EXPLAINER<\/span><\/main><\/p>\n

A coup that never was: Why UK\u2019s Starmer faced major leadership challenge<\/h1>\n

Senior colleague tried to topple British PM, and top aides resign as Epstein files have ripple effects far beyond the US.<\/em><\/p>\n

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has clung on to his post despite calls for him to resign [Alberto Pezzali\/AP Photo]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Published On 10 Feb 2026<\/span>10 Feb 2026<\/span><\/p>\n

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United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer has emerged rattled but ultimately unscathed after a day and night of drama during which a key member of his Labour Party called for him to resign over revelations<\/a> about a former ambassador to the US, Peter Mandelson, in the Jeffrey Epstein files.<\/p>\n

Starmer has faced more than a week of mounting pressure since the release of the latest tranche of documents from the US Department of Justice relating to the criminal cases against the late sex offender. They revealed that Mandelson had maintained a close friendship with the disgraced financier even after Epstein had pleaded guilty to solicitation of sex with a minor and was jailed in 2008.<\/p>\n

They include documents and emails that suggest Mandelson may have received payments from Epstein and passed sensitive information to him during the 2008-2009 financial crisis.<\/p>\n

Since then, Starmer has admitted that he knew of the pair\u2019s friendship when he appointed Mandelson as ambassador but said the peer had lied about the extent of it. The affair has caused outrage in parliament. Two key members of Starmer\u2019s inner circle have resigned and a third is under pressure to go. On Monday, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar called for the prime minister to do the same.<\/p>\n

While Starmer\u2019s position has been shored up for now by a rally of support from his cabinet on Monday night, just how badly has this affair shaken his government?<\/p>\n

\u2018The distraction needs to end,\u2019 Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar says at a news conference in Glasgow on February 9, 2026, at which he called for Starmer to step down [Andy Buchanan\/AFP]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Why did Anas Sarwar call for Starmer to resign?<\/h2>\n

Sarwar said at a news conference early on Monday afternoon that he had called Starmer and told him it was time for him to resign. \u201cI spoke to the prime minister earlier today, and I think it\u2019s safe to say he and I disagreed,\u201d Sarwar said.<\/p>\n

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He said \u201ctoo many mistakes\u201d had been made in relation to the appointment of Mandelson.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe distraction needs to end, and the leadership in Downing Street has to change,\u201d Sarwar said as he became the first Labour heavyweight to stand against the prime minister.<\/p>\n

While Sarwar said he believed Starmer to be a \u201cdecent man\u201d, the fury over the Epstein files had severely damaged the government\u2019s support and wrecked its chances in the upcoming Scottish parliament elections. Opinion polls put Scottish Labour some distance behind the Scottish National Party, followed by the far-right Reform party, led by Nigel Farage.<\/p>\n

But cabinet members came out in support of Starmer, ultimately ending the coup that never was. Angela Rayner, former deputy prime minister and a senior member of the Labour Party, was the first to show him support. She said in a post on X that while she did not defend Starmer\u2019s judgement, \u201cthe worst possible response [to the scandal] would be to play party politics or factional games.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI urge all my colleagues to come together, remember our values and put them into practice as a team,\u201d she wrote on X. \u201cThe Prime Minister has my full support in leading us to that end.\u201d<\/p>\n

Within hours, nearly every minister had followed suit. Wes Streeting, the health secretary, urged people to \u201cgive Keir a chance\u201d. Pat McFadden, the work and pensions secretary, said he hoped the prime minister would stay on, and Douglas Alexander, Scotland secretary, said he \u201crespected\u201d Sarwar\u2019s stance but backed the prime minister.<\/p>\n

On Monday night, Starmer addressed more than 400 MPs and peers at a Labour Party meeting. \u201cI have won every fight I\u2019ve ever been in. I fought to change the Labour Party to allow us to win an election again,\u201d he told them.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I\u2019ll tell you this, after having fought so hard for the chance to change our country, I\u2019m not prepared to walk away from my mandate and my responsibility to my country or to plunge us into chaos as others have done.\u201d<\/p>\n

Journalists gather outside 10 Downing Street, the official residence of Britain\u2019s prime minister, on February 9, 2026, as Starmer was \u2018getting on with the job of delivering change across the country\u2019, a spokesman told them. [Henry Nicholls\/AFP]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Who has resigned from Starmer\u2019s team and why?<\/h2>\n

Two key figures have already resigned, and a third is under pressure to do so, UK media has reported.<\/p>\n

Amid growing outrage over the new revelations about Mandelson and Epstein, Starmer\u2019s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, resigned on Sunday, taking \u201cfull responsibility\u201d for advising the prime minister to appoint Mandelson to the ambassadorship, which he took up in 2025, despite the risks.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe decision to appoint Mandelson was wrong,\u201d McSweeney said. \u201cHe has damaged our party. \u2026 I advised the prime minister to make that appointment and I take full responsibility for that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mandelson was dismissed from the post in September after serving seven months after the UK daily The Sun obtained other emails between him and Epstein that showed the depth of their friendship.<\/p>\n

After the release of the latest tranche of Epstein documents on January 30, Mandelson resigned from the Labour Party and the House of Lords.<\/p>\n

Tim Allan, Starmer\u2019s communications chief, resigned on Monday, saying he was leaving to pave the way for a \u201cnew No 10 team\u201d to be built as Starmer tries to reset his government.<\/p>\n

Allan, who founded the Portland Communications firm specialising in reputation management, had been in the job for only five months, and Starmer is now looking to hire his fifth communications chief since taking office in 2024.<\/p>\n

Chris Wormald, the cabinet secretary and senior-most civil servant in Downing Street, is also reportedly under pressure to resign and is said to be currently negotiating his exit from the role, which he has been in for less than a year.<\/p>\n

The UK\u2019s Guardian newspaper reported that some people close to Starmer\u00a0view him\u00a0as a \u201cdisastrous\u201d appointment.<\/p>\n

UK Ambassador Peter Mandelson, shown standing just right of US President Donald Trump, seated, talks with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer by speaker phone in the Oval Office of the White House on May 8, 2025, in Washington, DC [Anna Moneymaker\/Getty Images via AFP]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What did the Epstein files reveal about Mandelson?<\/h2>\n

The latest release of files showed Mandelson maintained his relationship with Epstein after the latter was jailed in 2008.<\/p>\n

They also suggested Mandelson received payments from the late financier and may have shared market-sensitive information with him that was of financial interest to Epstein.<\/p>\n

Leaks of sensitive information by Mandelson allegedly took place in 2009 while he was serving as the UK\u2019s business secretary.<\/p>\n

The UK police have launched a criminal investigation over suspected misconduct in public office linked to Mandelson\u2019s relationship with Epstein.<\/p>\n

In one of the emails revealed in the most recent tranche of documents released from the US Justice Department, Mandelson told Epstein to \u201cfight for early release\u201d shortly before he was sentenced in 2008.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the world of you,\u201d Mandelson told Epstein, adding about his prosecution: \u201cI can still barely understand it. It just could not happen in Britain. You have to be incredibly resilient, fight for early release and be philosophical about it as much as you can.\u201d<\/p>\n

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, right, talks with then-Ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson at a welcome reception at the ambassador\u2019s residence in Washington, DC [File: Carl Court\/pool\/AFP]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How damaging has this all been for Starmer?<\/h2>\n

Starmer has apologised publicly for appointing Mandelson as ambassador to the US despite knowing of his ties \u2013 but not the extent of them, he said \u2013 to the disgraced financier.<\/p>\n

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\u201cNone of us knew the depth and the darkness of that relationship,\u201d Starmer said on Thursday as he apologised to Epstein\u2019s victims.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am sorry \u2013 sorry for what was done to you, sorry that so many people with power failed you, sorry for having believed Mandelson\u2019s lies and appointing him.\u201d<\/p>\n

But this has not been enough to let him off the hook entirely, experts said.<\/p>\n

Tim Bale, a professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London, said the scandal has been hugely damaging for Starmer. \u201cA more popular PM might have been able to ride it out, but he was already facing a good deal of hostility from voters before it blew up,\u201d Bale told Al Jazeera. \u201cHe\u2019s managed so far to hold on to his cabinet, but he\u2019s completely lost the trust of the electorate \u2013 and that\u2019s hard to get back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bale said \u201cpeople are disgusted by\u201d Starmer\u2019s decision to appoint Mandelson \u201cdespite knowing that he\u2019d stayed friends with Epstein after he\u2019d been convicted\u201d.<\/p>\n

Then-UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner greet each other as they arrive for a cabinet meeting at Downing Street in London on September 2, 2025 [Toby Melville\/Reuters]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Can Starmer\u2019s leadership still be challenged?<\/h2>\n

While Starmer has survived Monday night, his position is still weak with low approval ratings, experts said.<\/p>\n

Labour is expected to suffer losses in crucial Scottish elections in May. A parliamentary by-election is also due on February 26.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe immediate danger [to Starmer] is that [Labour] suffers catastrophic losses in a by-election and then a big set of elections in May,\u201d Bale said. \u201cThat will reignite calls for Starmer to resign and, if he doesn\u2019t, a challenge from one or more of his colleagues.\u201d<\/p>\n

Among the top runners to replace Starmer are Rayner, his former deputy prime minister who resigned from the cabinet last year over a tax scandal.<\/p>\n

A website pitching Rayner as leader, angelaforleader.co.uk, went live in January briefly, The Guardian newspaper reported. Rayner has denied any links to the website.<\/p>\n

Another politician gearing up to replace Starmer is Wes Streeting, the health secretary.<\/p>\n

Streeting, 43, has also been called out for his ties with Mandelson. In a bid to distance himself from the former ambassador, Streeting this week shared private chats he had with Mandelson that questioned the government\u2019s growth plan.<\/p>\n

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, 45, is another possible successor to Starmer. She has grown popular among several right-aligned leaders of the Labour Party with her moves to tighten border controls and crack down on unauthorised immigration.<\/p>\n

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has survived calls for him to step down, but his approval ratings are low, and he remains vulnerable [File: Andy Rain\/EPA]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What other issues has Labour faced under Starmer?<\/h2>\n

The Labour Party swept to power in July 2024, ending nearly 14 years of Conservative rule. However, the prime minister has since had a difficult time in Downing Street.<\/p>\n

In the 2024 elections, Reform UK, the right-wing, populist, anti-immigration party led by Farage, won just five of the 650 seats in parliament. However, it has gone on to become one of the best polling British parties. In July, a YouGov poll<\/a> put Reform in the lead, predicting it could win 271 seats if elections were held then.<\/p>\n

In his speech on Monday, Starmer called the challenge posed by the rise of the Reform party, which has won over a number of high-profile defectors from the Conservative Party in recent weeks, \u201ca fight for our lives\u201d.<\/p>\n

Starmer is also facing domestic pressure to put a stop to undocumented immigration to the UK. More than 32,000 people tried to cross the English Channel from France in small boats last year. These crossings are dangerous and have resulted in many deaths.<\/p>\n

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The UK and France have laid the blame on each other for the rising numbers. This led to a \u201cone-in-one-out<\/a>\u201d migrant deal signed between the UK and France last year, under which the UK returns one migrant to France for each accepted refugee. The scheme has had little success, however, with only a handful of migrants returned.<\/p>\n

Starmer himself has dropped in popularity by 20 percentage points from July 2024 to January this year, according to YouGov.<\/p>\n

\u201cReform has obviously spooked some in the Labour Party,\u201d Bale said, adding, however, that Reform is eating into the Conservatives\u2019 base more. \u201cAnd Labour probably needs to worry more about the Greens and the Liberal Democrats at this stage.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe break-up of the two-party duopoly that has dominated British politics for a century is no longer simply an aspiration among challenger parties but an ongoing reality,\u201d Bale said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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EXPLAINER A coup that never was: Why UK\u2019s Starmer faced major leadership challenge Senior colleague tried to topple British PM, and top aides resign as Epstein files have ripple effects far beyond the US. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has clung on to his post despite calls for him to resign [Alberto Pezzali\/AP Photo] Published […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":649,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-648","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailypremiumbulletin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/648","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailypremiumbulletin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailypremiumbulletin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailypremiumbulletin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailypremiumbulletin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=648"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailypremiumbulletin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/648\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailypremiumbulletin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/649"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailypremiumbulletin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=648"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailypremiumbulletin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=648"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailypremiumbulletin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=648"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}