Morgan McSweeney was Downing Street Chief of Staff under Keir Starmer from October 2024 to February 2026. [1] Dame Emily Thornberry has publicly blamed him for steering Labour towards an anti-trans position.
According to Dame Emily Thornberry, speaking on the BBC's Political Thinking podcast (March 2026):
"She singled out former chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, who left Downing Street last month, for steering the party into territory that 'didn't come naturally' to Labour MPs." [2]
"Labour had stopped 'following our hearts' on trans rights, instead allowing itself to be pushed towards a more socially conservative position by senior advisers." [2:1]
Thornberry argued that Labour has a "moral duty" to protect trans people, asking:
"If the Labour Party doesn't look after trans people, what are we about?" [2:2]
McSweeney was a key architect of Labour's electoral strategy, credited with the party's "shift to the political centre." [1:1]
Before becoming Chief of Staff, he ran Labour Together, an anti-Corbyn organisation co-founded by Maurice Glasman. [3]
McSweeney resigned in February 2026 over his role in recommending Peter Mandelson as US Ambassador. [4] Mandelson was subsequently arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office related to his connections to Jeffrey Epstein. [5]
The McSweeney-Mandelson relationship raises questions about influence networks within Labour:
McSweeney's recommendation of Mandelson as Ambassador ultimately led to his own resignation when the Epstein connections became public. [4:1]