Pressure mounts over Keir Starmer’s future as second top aide quits

Sir Keir Starmer is already fighting for his position amid calls to resign due to the growing furore over Peter Mandelson.

Director of Communications Tim Allan quit today, saying: “I have decided to stand down to allow a new No10 team to be built. I wish the PM and his team every success.”

He is Keir Starmer’s third director of comms and was only appointed a few months ago.

Mr Allan was appointed Downing Street’s executive director of communications at the start of September under Sir Keir’s attempted “reset” at No 10.

Kemi Badenoch told LBC this morning: “Tim Allen only came in in September. He was in the job three months and he's already leaving. That does not give you any confidence that Number 10 is being well run.

"The Prime Minister is in office, not in power. If he can't do the job, then he should step aside and let someone else do it.”

She added that it is only a matter of time before Keir Starmer is no longer prime minister.

“I have said it's a matter of when, not if,” she said.

“When, I don't know. That is up to Labour MPs. I made an offer to them last week. If they want to hold a confidence vote, they should come to my whip’s office.

"I'm the only person who can trigger that as Leader of the Opposition. But the big issue is that the country is not being governed. I'm worried about people like the ones I've been talking to you this morning here in this pub.

"They need help. The economy is going backwards, unemployment is increasing. The government is not focused on their issues, only on their internal psychodrama.”

Read more: Pressure mounts on beleaguered PM after chief of staff resigns

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As the former deputy press secretary under Sir Tony Blair’s New Labour, Mr Allan worked closely with Lord Mandelson.

The PM’s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney resigned yesterday saying he takes ‘full responsibility’ for advising Sir Keir to appoint Lord Mandelson as US ambassador in 2024.

No10 has quashed rumours of a speech today by the PM to address the scandal.

After Mr McSweeney’s departure yesterday, Downing Street said the PM and Mr McSweeney had jointly decided it was the 'right moment' for him to go.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said this morning that the PM’s position is ‘untenable’.

She accused Sir Keir Starmer of being dishonest about what he knew of Lord Mandelson's relationship to Jeffrey Epstein, adding he chose not to release the files relating to the former US ambassador's appointment because he was "scared".

She said: "Keir Starmer knew, he knew. It is his judgment and the fact that he has been dishonest, he was dishonest - he claimed not to know, then he changed his story and claimed that he had been lied to."

She added: "It didn't have to go this far. He could've released the files relating to the appointment, he chose not to do so because he is scared, he is weak, he throws other people under a bus, he's got no backbone.

"That's why he shouldn't be Prime Minister."

Mr Allan started his Labour Party career as a researcher for Tony Blair, before becoming his deputy press secretary in 1994. After the 1997 general election he became deputy director of communications, reporting to Alastair Campbell.

The Prime Minister is expected to address a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) later today as he fights for his position.

He is facing growing anger over his appointment of the peer as ambassador to the US despite knowing that his links with Jeffrey Epstein continued after the financier’s conviction for child sex offences.

Morgan McSweeney quit as Sir Keir’s chief of staff on Sunday, taking “full responsibility” for giving the Prime Minister advice that resulted in the “wrong” appointment.

But scrutiny of Sir Keir’s own judgment is mounting as critics, including some of his MPs, have highlighted that he made the final decision.

The pressure on his premiership looks unlikely to ease as the Government prepares for the lengthy process of releasing tens of thousands of emails, messages and documents relating to Lord Mandelson’s appointment.

Sir Keir believes the files will prove the former Labour grandee lied about the extent of his ties to the notorious paedophile during his vetting.