UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer told his party on Monday he would fight for his job, rejecting calls to resign, even by the leader of his party in Scotland, as revelations as revelations about the relationship between the former U.K. ambassador to Washington and Jeffrey Epstein spiraled into a full-blown crisis for his 19-month-old government.
Under pressure over the appointment of a man whose close ties to the late U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have come into full focus, Starmer has attempted to change the narrative.
But a demand from Anas Sarwar, leader of the Scottish Labour Party, for him to quit and the departure of a second senior aide in as many days did little to stop the questions over his judgment and ability to govern.
The resignation of communications chief Tim Allan followed the exit of Starmer's closest aide, Morgan McSweeney, who said he took responsibility for advising on the appointment of Mandelson to Britain's top diplomatic role in the United States.
Despite Sarwar's intervention, Starmer later received messages of support from his top ministers and some potential leadership rivals, and a positive reception at a meeting of Labour Party lawmakers suggested there would be no imminent move to oust him.
