Morgan McSweeney has resigned as the Downing Street chief of staff over his role in the appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador, in what could be a fatal blow to Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership.
Sir Keir’s right-hand man, who was credited with masterminding Labour’s landslide election victory in 2024, has stepped down from the role.
Mr McSweeney was seen as instrumental in the appointment of Mandelson to the most important diplomatic post, a decision which has become an embarrassment for the government following the latest revelations about his relationship with convicted paedophile and financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Morgan McSweeney has quit as Downing Street chief of staff (Getty)
In a statement, Mr McSweeney said: “After careful reflection, I have decided to resign from the government. The decision to appoint Peter Mandelson was wrong. He has damaged our party, our country and trust in politics itself.
“When asked, I advised the prime minister to make that appointment and I take full responsibility for that advice. In public life responsibility must be owned when it matters most, not just when it is most convenient. In the circumstances, the only honourable course is to step aside.”
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He noted that it “has not been an easy decision“ but after months of briefing against him from within Labour he insisted “my motivations have always been simple: I have worked every day to elect and support a government that puts the lives of ordinary people first and leads us to a better future for our great country. Only a Labour government will do that.”
Insisting that he “leaves with pride” he called for a complete overhaul of the vetting procedures in the future warning that they “cannot simply be a gesture but a safeguard”.
Sir Keir said: “It’s been an honour working with Morgan McSweeney for many years. He turned our party around after one of its worst ever defeats and played a central role running our election campaign. It is largely thanks to his dedication, loyalty and leadership that we won a landslide majority and have the chance to change the country.
“Having worked closely with Morgan in opposition and in government, I have seen every day his commitment to the Labour Party and to our country. Our party and I owe him a debt of gratitude, and I thank him for his service.”
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But the decision leaves Sir Keir greatly weakened, with the man at the heart of the Starmer project out of government, and there are questions over whether the prime minister can survive in Downing Street without his right-hand man.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said that it raises even more questions about the prime minister himself.
She said: “It’s about time. But once again with this PM it’s somebody else’s fault: ‘Mandelson lied to me’ or ‘Morgan advised me.’ Keir Starmer has to take responsibility for his own terrible decisions. But he never does.”
It came despite his closest cabinet ally, welfare secretary Pat McFadden, saying that Mr McSweeney, who oversaw Labour’s election victory just 19 months ago with him, should not go.
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Mr McFadden dismissed the calls for a change of personnel in Downing Street as “beside the point”.
But Lord Blunkett had led the charge for McSweeney to be sacked as the only way Sir Keir can buy himself time to save his badly damaged government.
The former home secretary told BBC Radio 4: “He needs a new chief of staff, he needs an opening up of the routes to him so that people can reach him and he can hear what people are thinking and feeling.”
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Starmer appointed Mandelson as ambassador to the US with McSweeney’s advice (AP)
Meanwhile, a number of leading female Labour figures including Baroness Ayesha Hazarika condemned “the boy’s club” in Downing Street which had led to the appointment of Mandelson as ambassador to the US.
She said: “Everyone knew Mandelson mixed in these circles. The calculation was these are the slightly tawdry circles in which the US President moves… we need a guy who sits in those hot tubs.”
Mr McSweeney, 48, had already been a controversial figure in the Downing Street operation and was facing demands to resign as recently as December, following a hostile briefing from No10 officials about health secretary Wes Streeting.
A close ally of his Paul Ovenden was sacked from Downing Street when emails with lurid remarks about veteran Labour MP Diane Abbott emerged.
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But the outgoing chief of staff has had to fall on his sword after pushing for Mandelson to be made ambassador last year, despite concerns from the Donald Trump administration and red flags raised by the security services over the former Labour grandee’s links to China and Epstein.
Revelations that Mandelson leaked confidential and market sensitive government material to Epstein, as well as maintaining contact with the disgraced financier when he had been found guilty of sex crimes, have seen the Labour grandee forced to quit the party and give up his seat in the Lords.
Embarrassing pictures of Mandelson in his underwear with Epstein have also made the affair even more tawdry but there are claims that the security services warned Downing Street of the problems before he was confirmed as ambassador.
However, McSweeney has been accused of wanting to replicate the Tony Blair era of government and relied on big beasts from that period, including Mandelson, who had been his mentor.
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To make matters worse when Sir Keir sacked Mandelson as ambassador in September last year it is understood that McSweeney pleaded to keep him in post.
While some believe McSweeney is being made a scapegoat to protect a prime minister whose own position is in doubt, others believed that McSweeney’s position had become untenable.
He had already caused controversy by ousting the previous chief of staff Sue Grey and replacing her just a few months into the government.
As the man who ran the election campaign in 2024, McSweeney, whose wife Imogen Walker is an MP and party whip, was also blamed for the overpromising in the manifesto which is in part responsible for the various U-turns in recent months.
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Along with the prime minister he was also blamed for an apparent lack of direction and narrative in a Labour government which has plummeted to below 20 per cent in the polls and never enjoyed a honeymoon period despite winning a huge majority.
The resignation though has not protected Sir Keir from demands he also quit.
Asked by the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg whether Sir Keir should quit, Fire Brigades Union (FBU) general secretary Steve Wright said: “Everybody’s thinking it.”
He joined a growing number of Labour peers and MPs who believe the PM’s position is “untenable”.
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He noted that senior figures such as the current deputy prime minister David Lammy, who was foreign secretary at the time of the appointment, and his predecessor as DPM Angela Rayner, have said they advised against appointing Mandelson at the time.
Mr Wright said: “Unfortunately we’re seeing MPs being wheeled out again today to sweep up the mess behind the prime minister at the moment.
“I want to see the change that was promised and that this country needs.”
So far, only Aberdeen, Glasgow and Dundee City Councils have approved the day off for staff.
Staff at Dundee City Council are set to receive an extra day off after councillors backed proposals to mark the World Cup bank holiday.
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The City of Discovery has become the third Scottish council to approve the day off after Aberdeen and Glasgow but the majority of councils have so far rejected the idea.
Schools are also set to be closed for the day in the cities after councillors agreed to the holiday.
Last month, King Charles III formally proclaimed the bank holiday which will taken place on Monday, June 15 – a day after Scotland open their World Cup campaign against Haiti in Boston.
Last week, Aberdeenshire, East Lothian, Midlothian, Perth and Kinross, Shetland, Moray and East Renfrewshire Councils all officially rejected the holiday for their employees.
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Comhairle nan Eilean Siar has also rejected the day off for its staff while Edinburgh, Fife, Falkirk, North Lanarkshire and Scottish Borders Council have all said they don’t plan to offer the holiday to employees. Council officers in Argyll and Bute are also recommending refusing the holiday.
Most councils who have refused to recognise the public holiday for their employees have cited the costs involved.
First Minister John Swinney proposed the bank holiday to mark the national men’s football team’s return to the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1998.
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Steve Clarke‘s men will take on Haiti, Morocco and Brazil at the competition which is being staged in the United States, Mexico and Canada in June and July.
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In both cases, the US sent thousands of ground troops into combat. Trump has limited the attack on Iran to air strikes, as he did last year in a separate strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. He did not, however, rule out sending ground troops in the future “if they were necessary” in a brief telephone interview with the New York Post on Monday.
North Yorkshire Police are hunting for 36-year-old Robert Chinchen on recall to prison for breaching his Slavery and Trafficking Risk Order.
They added that they believe he is likely to be in the Scarborough area.
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“Extensive enquiries have been ongoing to locate Chinchen and we’re now appealing for your help to help find him,” said a spokesperson for the force.
He is described as white with a slim build.
If you see him, or have any information about his current whereabouts, please call North Yorkshire Police on 101 or if the sighting is immediate, please call 999.
Alternatively, you can pass on information anonymously through independent charity Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111 or via their website.
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Please quote reference number 12260036434 when providing any information.
Misty Roberts, 43, stands accused of having sex with a teenage boy at a pool party in 2024 while she was mayor of DeRidder, a city in Louisiana
Eliana Nunes and Annette Belcher
22:39, 02 Mar 2026
A former mayor is accused of having sex with a teenage boy at a pool party. And her children claim they witnessed the alleged offence.
Misty Roberts, 43, allegedly carried out the offence at a party in 2024 while serving as mayor of DeRidder, Louisiana. Her trial on a charge of third-degree rape began last week following numerous delays, according to local media. Roberts resigned from office in late July 2024, days before she was arrested and charged with third-degree rape and contributing to the delinquency of juveniles, reports The Mirror.
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Last week, jurors were shown pictures of the party in question, including of children holding drinks by the pool. In interviews played to the court, Roberts’ son told investigators he saw his mother having sex with his friend through the crack of a window, while her daughter told investigators she saw her mother and the teenager “on top of each other”, KPLC reports.
However, on Thursday, when both of Roberts’ children took the stand, her son told the court he was not certain what he saw that night. The prosecution presented a text message in which the son appears to tell Roberts: “He is seventeen.” The alleged victim of this case was identified as 16 years old at the time of the alleged offence, according to KPLC.
On Thursday, the defence and prosecution questioned two forensic interviewers who had spoken with children connected to the case. One interviewed three children, including the alleged victim, in July and August 2024. The second interviewed Roberts’ children in March 2025 at the request of the district attorney’s office.
Roberts’ nephew told the court that he used his phone’s camera to see what was happening in the room that night. He testified that he was unsure if he had hit “record”, but said that if he had, the video was never sent to anyone and he has since deleted it from his Snapchat memories.
When the defence asked Roberts’ nephew why he cleared his Snapchat before handing the phone to investigators, he said that he did it because it contained photos of him and his friends drinking, and he was worried about getting in trouble. He said he did not intend to delete any evidence.
None of the three witnesses who testified on Thursday said they saw any “private parts” of Roberts or the alleged victim. One witness said the teenage boy was shirtless.
After the alleged incident, the mother of the alleged victim texted Roberts to make sure she was not pregnant. The court was shown a screenshot of the message in which Roberts replied that she was on birth control.
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The court was shown that Roberts sent a screenshot of her conversation with the boy’s mother to a group chat with her friends, who responded by telling her to take Plan B. A DoorDash driver testified that he delivered an emergency contraceptive to Roberts’ house.
The defence suggested in court that a key part of the interview with Roberts’ son was not transcribed. Defence attorney Adam Johnson claimed the interviewer told the boy: “Just say it once, and we can move on.” He also said the transcription notes are unintelligible.
Roberts had appeared in court in early February to enter her plea of not guilty to two felony charges of indecent behaviour with a juvenile and carnal knowledge of a juvenile.
In her resignation letter in July 2024, Roberts said: “For nearly 15 years, my love and passion for DeRidder has been my foundation while serving as Mayor. I will forever be proud of what we have been able to accomplish – together. This role has rewarded me with many great relationships.
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“I am humbled to have witnessed the hard work that took a community to come together and overcome through unprecedented times. However, I must adjust my focus and priorities. Please accept this letter as my formal resignation, effective today.
“To the residents of this city: Thank you for your trust, love and support in me to lead our city into our future of greatness. My love for DeRidder will never waiver.” Roberts was in the middle of a second term as the city’s mayor, to which she was re-elected in 2022 with sixty per cent of the vote.
DeRidder is a city in Louisiana with a population of just under 10,000 people.
A 22-year-old has been found guilty of killing a man outside student accommodation near Cambridge railway station
17:11, 02 Mar 2026Updated 17:15, 02 Mar 2026
A 22-year-old man has been convicted of the murder of a Saudi Arabian student who was stabbed in the neck whilst studying English on a 10-week placement in Cambridge last year. The trial at Cambridge Crown Court heard that Mohammed Algasim, 20, was assaulted outside student accommodation near the city’s train station late on August 1, 2025.
Prosecutors said he was fatally stabbed by Chas Corrigan, who was a stranger to him, in an “unprovoked and senseless act of violence”.
Corrigan, of Holbrook Road, Cambridge, denied murdering Mr Algasim. However, he was found guilty by a jury after two hours and nine minutes of deliberation, a court officer said.
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Corrigan, who confessed to carrying a knife, is scheduled to be sentenced at the same court on Wednesday (March 4), the court officer added.
Prosecutor Nicholas Hearn told jurors that Corrigan had been drinking in a pub and may have consumed drugs prior to stabbing Mr Algasim with a kitchen knife. He mentioned that the stabbing was “captured by a high-quality CCTV camera positioned outside the student accommodation”, and footage of this was shown to the jury.
It showed Mr Algasim sitting on a low wall surrounded by a group of people when Corrigan – wearing a hi-vis jacket – approached the group.
Mr Hearn stated that Abdullah Bin Shuail, a fellow student of Mr Algasim, “heard the defendant say something to Mr Algasim but he could not hear what was said and he could not hear whether Mr Algasim said anything in reply”.
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He said Corrigan walked away from the group and towards the train station. Mr Hearn said that as the defendant walked away, Mr Bin Shuail heard Mr Algasim say something to the defendant but “could only make out one word”, which was “centre”.
“When Mr Algasim said this, the defendant turned and started to come back towards them,” Mr Hearn said. The prosecutor said the defendant said ‘What did you say, what did you say?’ and that this was “in a very angry and aggressive way”.
He said Mr Bin Shuail “saw the defendant punch Mr Algasim hard to the left side of his neck” and “then saw that the defendant was holding a large knife in his right hand”. Mr Algasim died from a single stab wound, which severed the carotid artery and jugular vein, “causing massive bleeding”, Mr Hearn said.
Mr Hearn added that Mr Algasim “posed no threat to anybody”. He said Mr Algasim “was a student who had come to Cambridge from Saudi Arabia”.
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Corrigan maintained that he had the knife with him to frighten off any attacker and insisted he did not realise he had made contact with Mr Algasim. He has been remanded in custody until his sentencing.
Emergency services were called to the crash on Monday (March 2) afternoon.
17:52, 02 Mar 2026Updated 17:54, 02 Mar 2026
A man has been taken to hospital after a crash in a small hamlet. Emergency services were called to a crash in Main Road in Stonely just after 1pm today (Monday, March 2).
The crash involved a car and motorbike. The East of England Ambulance Service attended and transported a man to hospital.
An ambulance spokesperson said: “We were called just after 1pm to a road traffic collision involving a car and a motorbike on Main Road in Stonely. An ambulance and rapid response vehicle were sent to the scene. An adult man was transported to Hinchingbrooke Hospital for further treatment.”
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Cambridgeshire Police also attended. A police spokesperson said: “We were called at 1.07pm to Main Road in Stonely with reports of a collision between a car and a motorbike.”
The developers said a new railway station would ‘benefit many’ and could form part of the next phase of proposals
A new railway station could be built as part of a large housing development. Urban&Civic is working on the fourth phase of plans for new homes at Alconbury Weald in Huntingdonshire.
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The 1,000 new homes will include a range of one bedroom to four bedroom homes, as well as proposals for shops, a secondary school, and a health and community centre. A railway station could also be built.
Mike Jenner, development manager from Urban&Civic, said: “Phase 4 has an important role to play in the delivery of Alconbury Weald, connecting green spaces and key infrastructure. The design of Phase 4 ensures walking, cycling and public transport links connect to the wider site seamlessly, and supports the aspirations of our local transport partners to progress a rail station, which will benefit many.
“As with other phases of Alconbury Weald, the first step is to establish a development framework and design code for phase four. This sets the parameters for the detailed designs that will come forward for individual housing parcels, green spaces and infrastructure, ensuring a cohesive and high-quality neighbourhood.
“We hope residents and the wider community will review the framework plans and help us shape the next phase of Alconbury Weald.”
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The developers said a railway station has “always been part” of the plans, and said it could play a “transformative role to unlock economic growth”. As a part of phase four, Urban&Civic is working with planning authorities, including the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, Cambridgeshire County Council and Huntingdonshire District Council.
The developers and authorities are working with Network Rail around the opportunities to deliver a new station along the East Coast mainline. Phase four will also look at the development’s “important connection” to green spaces.
The developers added: “The final section of Runway Park sits in Phase 4 and will include pockets of play space in a landscaped setting alongside a waterbody, which will form part of the sustainable drainage system and create a haven for wildlife.
“Marking the historic landing point for aircraft returning to RAF Alconbury, Touchdown Park will sit at the heart of this green space with a platform extending over the water that could be used for community events.”
The event, taking place from Saturday (March 7), will see about 50 venues across the city offer special dining deals, including new participants Ember at the Sheepfolds and The Korean Spoon on Fawcett Street.
Tamer Hassan, owner of Ember, said the restaurant is now ready to take part after 18 months of building its reputation.
Ember at the Sheepfolds is new to Restaurant Week this year. (Image: Ember)
Mr Hassan said: “When we first opened, our main focus was on establishing Ember’s reputation and building strong foundations as a new business.
“At the time, we were conscious that restaurant week could make us exceptionally busy, and we didn’t want to risk putting too much pressure on the team or compromising the standards we were working so hard to set.
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“Now, 18 months on, we feel much more established and confident in what we do.
The Korean Spoon on Fawcett Street is also a newcomer to Restaurant Week. (Image: The Korean Spoon)
“It feels like the right time for us to be part of such a brilliant event and to give something back to the community that has supported us so strongly since day one.
“We’re excited to welcome new guests through the door and showcase what Ember is all about.”
Rachel Meng, owner of The Korean Spoon, said the restaurant is looking forward to welcoming diners during the event.
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Ms Meng said: “We’re delighted to be taking part in Sunderland Restaurant Week for the first time.
“The support we’ve received since opening has been incredible, and we’re really looking forward to welcoming both new and returning customers to discover our authentic Korean cuisine during the week.”
The full list of venues taking part this year is as follows:
1842 Acropolis Angelos Antico Ashbrooke Home Asiana Babaji BobaCat Kitchen Burger Drop Café Floriana Chesters Lounge Deep North Diegos Ember Enfes Esquires Fausto Gatsby Goa Grand Hotel House of Zen I scream for pizza Keel Tavern Koji Marina Vista Mexico 70 Mumbai Silk My Dehli Panda Garden Pho 179 Port of Call Rio Roma Rumour Has It Saba Maison De Luxe Signatures SIX Spent Grain The 3 Stories The Coffee Snug at The Chair The Korean Spoon The Mad Hatter The Seaburn Bay The Shipwrights The Sweet Petite Vito’s Osteria WEAR Yard Nine
Organised by the City Centre business improvement district (Bid) and seafront Bid, with support from Nexus, the event offers set menus at price points of £10, £15, £20, and £25.
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A variety of cuisines are on offer, including Mediterranean, Asian, Turkish, and Indian.
Diners can download the required vouchers from the Sunderland Bid website.
