Sir Keir Starmer’s director of communications has resigned just hours after the Prime Minister’s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney quit Downing Street.
Tim Allan, who joined Sir Keir at Number 10 in September last year, stated he was stepping down to allow the Prime Minister to build a new team.
“I have decided to stand down to allow a new No10 team to be built,” Allan said. “I wish the PM and his team every success.”
The resignation comes on the same day McSweeney departed his role as chief of staff, dealing a double blow to Starmer’s inner circle as the government faces multiple crises.
Allan’s departure after less than six months in the role represents a significant loss of experienced communications staff at a time when the Prime Minister faces historically low approval ratings and mounting pressure over the Mandelson-Epstein scandal.
The timing of both resignations within hours of each other suggests mounting turmoil within Downing Street’s senior team. McSweeney had been instrumental in Starmer’s leadership and was reported to have championed Peter Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador.
The Prime Minister now faces the task of rebuilding his core team whilst managing a political crisis that has seen his approval ratings crater and Labour trail Reform UK in national polls.
