Starmer's chief of staff, Norwegian diplomat resign amid Epstein fallout

The fallout from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal continues to claim high-profile political figures. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, and Norway's ambassador to Jordan, Mona Juul, who is also accredited to Iraq, have both resigned, media reported on Sunday.

McSweeney's resignation followed mounting criticism from members of Parliament over Starmer's decision to appoint former Labour politician Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States.

Mandelson, 72, previously served as a senior cabinet minister under former prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. He was appointed ambassador to Washington in early 2025 but was later dismissed by Starmer after reports of his close ties to the late American financier Jeffrey Epstein triggered a political scandal in Britain.

"The decision to appoint Peter Mandelson was wrong. He has damaged our party, our country and trust in politics itself," McSweeney wrote in a resignation letter published by local media. "When asked, I advised the prime minister to make that appointment and I take full responsibility for that advice."

In Norway, Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide described Juul's resignation as "right and necessary," saying her contact with the convicted sex offender represented a "serious failure of judgment" and undermined the level of trust required for the post, according to a ministry statement.

Juul had been relieved of her duties last week while the foreign ministry reviewed her knowledge of and contact with Epstein. The ministry said its internal fact-finding investigation will continue despite her resignation, with particular focus on rules governing state employees and officials both during and outside official service.

Separately, the ministry said it had launched a review of its grants to and contacts with the International Peace Institute during the period when Juul's husband, Terje Rod-Larsen, led the organization. Eide described information that has emerged about Rod-Larsen's contact with Epstein as "very extensive" and "highly concerning," adding that there was "no doubt" he had exercised poor judgment.

Epstein, who died in 2019, was a U.S. financier accused of sex trafficking. The U.S. Department of Justice said on January 30 that it had released more than three million additional pages of materials under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which it said was signed into law by President Donald Trump in November 2025.

Norway's national authority for investigating and prosecuting economic and environmental crime, Okokrim, said on Thursday it had opened an investigation into former Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland on suspicion of aggravated corruption, based on information contained in the newly released Epstein files. Okokrim cited Jagland's past roles, including chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee and secretary general of the Council of Europe.

(With input from Xinhua)