End of days for Starmer as ally demands resignation
The Daily T
The Telegraph
4.1 • 706 Ratings
🗓️ 9 February 2026
⏱️ 47 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Keir Starmer was probably hoping today would be another chance to reset his premiership, following the departure this weekend of Morgan McSweeney, his chief of staff.
Instead he's been hit first by the departure of Tim Allan, his director of communications, and then by Anas Sarwar, the leader of Labour in Scotland, who became the most senior figure from his party to urge the PM to resign.
Camilla and Tim speak to Lee Cain, former director of communications to Boris Johnson, to find out what it is like to be in Downing Street as a government comes to an end. They also react to the news that Thames Valley Police are assessing claims Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor forwarded sensitive information to Jeffrey Epstein while he was trade envoy.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The Telegraph. His Scottish leader has come out against him. His chief of staff, |
| 0:13.8 | Morgan McSweeney, has resigned, and Kirstama has also lost his head of communications, Tim Allen. |
| 0:19.1 | It feels like the end of days for the Prime Minister. |
| 0:22.1 | Can he last the week? |
| 0:24.0 | And, first of all, they raided the homes of Peter Mandelson. |
| 0:27.2 | Now police are assessing new information, |
| 0:29.8 | suggesting that Andrew Mountbatten, Windsor, |
| 0:32.3 | may have also leaked confidential information to Geoffrey Epstein. |
| 0:36.8 | Welcome to The Daily Tea with me, Camille Otominy. |
| 0:39.3 | And me, Tim Stanley. |
| 0:53.0 | Tim, the Prime Minister says he is both confident and upbeat, |
| 0:57.0 | but this is what Anasawa, his leader in Scotland, is saying. |
| 1:01.0 | I am clear that I have to do what's right for my country, Scotland. |
| 1:06.0 | This isn't easy and it's not without pain, |
| 1:09.0 | as I have a genuine friendship with Kirstarmer. |
| 1:13.6 | But my first priority and my first loyalty is to my country, Scotland. |
| 1:20.6 | And I am not willing to sacrifice Scotland's NHS, our schools, our communities, our towns, cities, villages and islands to a third decade of an |
| 1:30.1 | SMP government. That's why the distraction needs to end and the leadership in Downing Street |
| 1:37.6 | has to change. That was a strange press conference. Yes. Anna Sawa, leader of the Scottish Labour |
| 1:43.4 | Party, not a member of cabinet. |
| 1:45.0 | So what's the point of it? |
| 1:47.0 | What is the point heading into the May local elections in Scotland of the head of Scottish |
... |
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