Scottish Labour Party leader calls for Starmer to resign as another staffer quits

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer came under increasing pressure on Monday (February 9, 2026) as Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar called for him to step down following the resignation, earlier on Monday (February 9), of Mr. Starmer’s communications head, Tim Allan.

Mr. Allan, who quit to “allow a new No. 10 team to be built”, departed less than a day after key Starmer ally and Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney resigned after taking “full responsibility” for the appointment of Peter Mandelson as Britain’s U.S. envoy. 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. His departure is the latest test of Mr. Starmer’s ability to stay on in No. 10, with some MPs from his own party as well as the opposition calling for his departure.

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. The opportunity to get rid of the ruling Scottish National Party (SNP) in May was “too important to be missed”, he added.

In Westminster, however, Mr. Starmer got the backing of many of his cabinet colleagues, including Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy.

Labour, under Mr. Starmer, won a large majority in the U.K. Parliament in July 2024, but his government has been beleaguered by rifts within the party over issues including welfare spending and wavering on campaign commitments related to not raising income tax rates.

Additionally, both Mr. Starmer’s party and the opposition Conservative Party have faced a strong and growing Reform U.K., a nativist party that grew out of the movement for Brexit (Britain’s departure from the EU).

Mr. Starmer is expected to meet with his colleagues at the weekly Monday night (February 9) Parliamentary Labour Party meeting. Keeping enough MPs on his side will be key to his ability to continue in office.

It appeared that Mr Starmer was standing firm despite the opposition.

“We go forward from here. We go with confidence as we continue changing the country,” Mr. Starmer said, as he addressed Downing Street staff during on Monday (February 9).