UK PM's Chief of Staff resigns. Will Starmer step down?

Embattled British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's chief of staff McSweeney resigned on Sunday over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington despite links to US convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.McSweeney steps down amid Epstein scandal; takes responsibility for Mandelson's appointment. Amid hectic political activities, British PM Keir Starmer will address the nation on Monday. According to local media reports. he may  announce resignation from his position.
The 48-year-old Irishman always maintained a low profile but was dubbed by some as the "most powerful man in politics" having played a key role in Starmer's emphatic election victory in July 2024. He is credited with helping to move the Labour Party towards a more centrist policy agenda following leftist ex-leader Jeremy Corbyn's ill-fated tenure. He was also said to have been close to Mandelson who previously helped ex-prime minister Tony Blair transform the party and its fortunes in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The resignation came as the foreign ministry said it was reviewing an exit payment to Mandelson, who was sacked by the Starmer last September over his friendship with the late Epstein.Mandelson, a pivotal figure in British politics and the Labour Party for decades, received an estimated pay-out of between £38,750 and £55,000 ($52,000 to $74,000) after only seven months in the job, according to a report in the Sunday Times. Mandelson was fired by Starmer in September last year from his ambassadorial job over earlier revelations about his Epstein ties. But the fresh emails published by the US Justice Department have brought serious concerns about Starmer’s judgment to the fore. Starmer is facing one of the worst attacks in his 18 months in power over his decision to send Mandelson to the US in 2024.