It has been a battle for political survival for Mr. Starmer since Sunday (February 8, 2026). Mr. Mandelson was sacked by Mr. Starmer in September after it came to light that his ties with child sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein were stronger than was previously known to the public. Mr. Allan, who was part of the Tony Blair Government’s communications team and ran a private PR agency, was appointed by Mr. Starmer in September 2025. With a view to the approaching May 7 elections at the local and Assembly levels (i.e., the Scottish and Welsh legislatures), Mr. Sarwar called on Mr. Starmer to step down, even as he referred to their “genuine friendship “ and called Mr. Starmer a “decent man”. “There have been too many incidences where the wrong judgement calls have been made,” Mr Sarwar said at a press conference.

Source: The Hindu February 10, 2026 03:46 UTC