All posts tagged: McSweeney

The House | Miles Thorpe: From Former Stationery Entrepreneur To Zack Polanski’s Morgan McSweeney

The House | Miles Thorpe: From Former Stationery Entrepreneur To Zack Polanski’s Morgan McSweeney

Published by Sam Flores

Miles Thorpe 5 min read1 hr As Labour now knows to its cost, the Greens have sharpened their campaigning prowess considerably in recent years. Tom Scotson profiles Miles Thorpe – the man getting much of the credit for a series of wins Bill Clinton had ‘ragin’ Cajun’ James Carville, Boris Johnson’s election Svengali was Lynton Crosby and Keir Starmer’s swift path to No 10 is widely credited to Morgan McSweeney. Zack Polanski has a 31-year-old former stationery entrepreneur. Miles Thorpe, from south London, has knocked around Green Party circles for years but is now developing a reputation that might one day rival the other great campaigners. He is said to have masterminded the impressive victories of Carla Denyer in Bristol Central at the 2024 general election and the Gorton and Denton by-election in February, where Green candidate Hannah Spencer won by more than 4,000 votes.  “He is very focused, good at prioritising, great at recruiting and motivating volunteers and creating a fun team spirit,” says one Green Party source who knows Thorpe well. …

Morgan McSweeney warns Labour not to be ‘Luddites’ on AI – POLITICO

Morgan McSweeney warns Labour not to be ‘Luddites’ on AI – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

“I think that is a danger with AI, because it is not about the left and the right, it is about democrats against authoritarians,” he said in one of his first public appearances since resigning as U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s top aide in February. He noted the U.K. could “learn a lot” from what Ukraine is doing. An AI-operated election campaign could target 5,000 different voter target groups, compared to just 10 if run by humans, McSweeney noted. “The risk then for democracies is that election campaigns become much less of a national story and much closer to individual stories, and that becomes harder,” he said. The ex-aide also highlighted the challenges of governing in an era of “permanent disruption.” Starmer, his former boss, is facing a revolt from almost 100 of his own MPs who want a change in the Labour leadership following a dire set of local elections earlier this month. “It was very clear to me that the new Labour government that we have got now is governing in a very different …

Morgan McSweeney swaps UK government for Ukraine-watching – POLITICO

Morgan McSweeney swaps UK government for Ukraine-watching – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

McSweeney, who was credited with meticulously devising Labour’s election success in 2024, is convinced that AI has not yet been used to the full extent of its capability to manipulate elections, and that any polls in Ukraine following a ceasefire will be a lightning rod for malign influence, according to people familiar with his thinking.  His allies say he is conscious of the potential for the use of AI to ramp up in British elections, where public trust in institutions is already low and Nigel Farage’s Reform Party is on the march. The ex-Downing Street aide is expected to appear on a panel alongside media executives and polling specialists Friday. McSweeney is the most prominent figure associated with British politics appearing at the Prague summit, after the Ministries of Defence and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office opted not to send any ministers. The conference is not yet seen as a “must-attend” event by government leaders in London, despite the British government’s stated commitment to integrate more closely with European allies on defense and security.  McSweeney’s …

Politics Home | Morgan McSweeney Says Mandelson’s Friendship With Epstein Was “Knife Through My Soul”

Politics Home | Morgan McSweeney Says Mandelson’s Friendship With Epstein Was “Knife Through My Soul”

Published by Sam Flores

Morgan McSweeney appeared before MPs in parliament on Tuesday 4 min read41 min Keir Starmer’s former chief of staff has described the moment when he realised the depth of Lord Mandelson’s friendship with Jeffrey Epstein as having “a knife through my soul”. Speaking on Tuesday, Morgan McSweeney said he initially believed that Mandelson was telling the truth about the extent of his relationship with the paedophile financier ahead of being appointed UK ambassador to the US, but then realised in September 2025 that he “didn’t get the full truth”. It was in September when Bloomberg published correspondence between the pair that further evidenced the depth of their friendship. “The nature of the relationship that I understood he had with Epstein was not a close friendship,” said McSweeney, giving evidence to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee. “How I understood it at the time was a passing acquaintance that he regretted having, and that he apologised for.” He added: “What has emerged since then was way, way, way worse than I had expected at the time. “And it was when I saw the …

Starmer: ‘Far-fetched’ to link McSweeney phone theft to Mandelson files | Politics News

Starmer: ‘Far-fetched’ to link McSweeney phone theft to Mandelson files | Politics News

Published by Sam Flores

Sir Keir Starmer has said it is “a little bit far-fetched” to suggest the theft of Morgan McSweeney’s phone was linked to the release of files relating to Lord Mandelson. The government is facing questions after it emerged that the PM’s former chief of staff’s phone was stolen, leading to the likely loss of his messages with the sacked ambassador to the US. The government-issued device was reported stolen after Mandelson’s firing, but before parliament forced the government to publish all papers and communications relating to his appointment and time in office. Politics latest – follow live Asked whether the phone’s disappearance is part of a “cover-up”, Sir Keir replied: “Well the phone was stolen. It was reported to the police. “There’s a transcript of the call in which Morgan McSweeney gives his name, his date of birth, the details of the phone and the police confirm that it was reported. “Unfortunately, there are thefts like this. It was stolen. It was reported at the time and the police have acknowledged and confirmed that that …

Keir Starmer tries to move on from his Morgan McSweeney era  – POLITICO

Keir Starmer tries to move on from his Morgan McSweeney era  – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

There are internal options. MPs credit Starmer’s Political Director Amy Richards with improving fractured relationships with the Labour back benches. And one of Starmer’s longest-serving aides, his former Director of Communications Ben Nunn, is only next door — working as chief of staff to Chancellor Rachel Reeves in 11 Downing Street. Others had mooted Darren Jones, the Cabinet minister who as Starmer’s chief secretary is charged with solving problems across government. But Jones has advised Starmer that the chief of staff should be a backroom special adviser, not an elected politician, said a ninth person with knowledge of talks in No. 10. Some people who have worked with Starmer say he finds personnel decisions difficult and trying to guess his choice is a fool’s game. “I don’t think anyone knows for sure,” said one person who speaks regularly to No. 10. “It’s up to the PM.” Things carry on Meanwhile, Starmer’s allies insist that No. 10 is already evolving. The prime minister has become more willing to pick fights with opposing parties, is more strident …

View from My Sofa: Siobhán McSweeney

View from My Sofa: Siobhán McSweeney

Published by Daniella Wilson

Add The Great Pottery Throw Down Final to your watchlist What’s the view from your sofa? I sit in my red armchair, with a pouffe to put my legs up on. There’s also a foot massager I treated myself to. If I’m cold, I wear a woolly hat and have a blanket over me to sit and watch the TV. What have you been watching? Loot on Apple TV with Maya Rudolph is radical and funny, and it does what I love – through the medium of comedy, it actually makes a point. She’s going, “There should be no such thing as billionaires! Why am I a millionaire?” You starred in Lisa McGee’s Derry Girls which also did just that… Derry Girls was extraordinary, but what was frustratingly extraordinary about it was that it essentially taught people recent Irish history. I’m not sure a sitcom should be teaching the history curriculum, but that’s where we’re at. Stories are always there to make us understand each other’s humanity a bit more. What do you ask yourself …

Morgan McSweeney ally Matt Pound to leave UK government – POLITICO

Morgan McSweeney ally Matt Pound to leave UK government – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Labour aides said the pair came to a mutual agreement for him to step down following the spring statement. It’s a move that may cheer left-wing Labour MPs who were glad to see McSweeney leave this month in the wake of the Peter Mandelson crisis, but leaves the party with another senior vacancy. “We have come a long way to turn the Labour party around from electoral oblivion in 2019 to a historic general election victory just five years later, and it is a privilege to have been a part of that,” Pound said in a statement. Reeves said Pound’s role “in transforming the Labour party and securing a historic general election win was nothing short of pivotal.” She added: “On entering government to a dire inheritance and a £22 billion Conservative black hole, he has played a key part in helping fix the foundations of the economy and deliver the change we were elected to do.” “Matt Pound is one of the most talented operators in Westminster,” said a fellow special adviser. “There have …

From Epstein to Mandelson to McSweeney, the lights are going out on Starmer’s project

From Epstein to Mandelson to McSweeney, the lights are going out on Starmer’s project

Published by Sam Flores

In fact, the sordid relationship between Epstein and Mandelson had already been well-established by a bombshell document that many do not even know about — but which everyone should read, if you have the stomach. The document was a summary of the emails exchanged between Staley and Epstein. This included emails in which Mandelson was discussed. It also included emails between Epstein and Mandelson that Epstein forwarded to Staley. Investigators concluded that “Jeffrey Epstein appears to maintain a particularly close relationship with Prince Andrew the Duke of York and Lord Peter Mandelson.” The emails dated from between 2009 and 2011. Lord Mandelson (left) and paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein (right), in an image released in an earlier tranche of Epstein files PA Media The emails are damning. They showed, for example, that Mandelson had stayed at Epstein’s flat while Epstein was in prison for soliciting a 14-year-old girl for prostitution. In one exchange, Mandelson offered to use his (alleged) access to the Minister and President of Congo-Brazzaville to unlock an oil concession for the benefit of …