Morgan McSweeney quits over Mandelson-Epstein scandal

Monday, February 9, 2026

Good morning and welcome to your daily news briefing from The Independent.

Sir Keir Starmer's chief of staff Morgan McSweeney has resigned over the Mandelson-Epstein scandal, Top Russian general reportedly behind Salisbury poisonings was shot outside his Moscow apartment, and American ski legend Lindsey Vonn has undergone surgery after crashing out of the Winter Olympics.

Top stories

1 | Morgan McSweeney quits as Keir Starmer's Downing Street chief of staff over Mandelson scandal

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2 | Top Russian general reportedly behind Salisbury poisonings shot in assassination bid in Moscow

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3 | 'It's a travesty': Calls to free frail Hong Kong activist Jimmy Lai from jail before it's too late

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4 | Ski legend Vonn undergoes surgery on leg fracture after horror downhill crash

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5 | Japan PM Sanae Takaichi set to secure big majority in snap election

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Editors' picks

Readers slam 'old boys' club' over Mandelson appointment

As well as being a woman, Pierce is also a Dame – so her accomplishments and talents have clearly been very publicly spotted and acknowledged. She should be reinstated because she was good at her job, and for no other reason.

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STAT OF THE DAY

1,129 

The number of bodies in Gaza that remain unidentified, according to Gaza's forensic evidence department.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Firstly, and most importantly, we must remember the women and girls whose lives were ruined by Jeffrey Epstein and whose voices went unheard for far too long."

Morgan McSweeney gave an impassioned plea to remember Epstein's victims as he handed in his resignation as Sir Keir Starmer's chief of staff.

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