Keir Starmer’s director of communications has QUIT his role – less than 24 hours after the PM’s top adviser.
Spin doctor Tim Allan was only appointed to the role in September 2025 following the resignation of James Lyons. On Sunday Morgan McSweeney – the Prime Minister’s chief-of-staff – also resigned from his role amid the ongoing row over Peter Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador.
In a surprise statement on Monday morning, Mr Allan said: “I have decided to stand down to allow a new No10 team to be built. I wish the PM and his team every success.”
It comes at the start of a crucial day for the PM, which will see him attempt to face down growing unrest following the dramatic departure of Mr McSweeney. The top aide said quitting was the honourable thing to do after advising Mr Starmer to appoint Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington.
But some of the PM’s fiercest critics are calling for Mr Starmer to follow him out the door as the crisis engulfs the centre of government. The Prime Minister is expected to address a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP), warning MPs that a leadership contest would be disastrous.
Asked if Mr Starmer will still be in charge a year from now, skills minister Baroness Jacqui Smith told Sky News on Monday morning: “I very much hope so. I think the last thing that the country or the party could do with at the moment is a lengthy leadership campaign.” And she continued: “I think it would be better, given that we were elected to change the country, if people focused on doing that rather than thinking about who the future leader may or may not be at some point all or another.”
And backbencher Natalie Fleet told Sky: “I’ve been genuinely shocked by the support that he has. So there have been people that have not always voted with the Government, they’ve been messaging me over the weekend saying they feel very strongly that he should stay.” And she urged the Prime Minister to “double down”.
But Mr Starmer will also have to face MPs who are calling for him to throw in the towel as anger over the Mandelson scandal mounts. Liverpool West Derby MP Ian Byrne posted on X: “McSweeney has overseen the erosion of internal democracy and the normalisation of a deeply damaging factionalism that members and MPs are now living with – and which I experienced first hand in 2022.
“But this will not stop with a single resignation. A true change in political direction must now come from – and be led from – the very top. The PM must now reflect honestly on his own position and ask whether, for the good of the country and the Labour Party, he should follow McSweeney’s lead.”