'We need an absolute clean out' Labour MP tells LBC
Starmer said he was "absolutely furious" at not being told."It's the McSweeney and Mandelson faction around Labour together that have dominated for six years," he said. "They dominate Number 10, even to the point of what is told to the Prime Minister." McSweeney, who resigned as Starmer's chief of staff in February, is widely seen as the architect of the centrist network that has dominated the party and Number 10, with loyalists still in key positions across government.He suggested Starmer himself may have been kept in the dark. "Mandelson wanted the job. He's got his people controlling number 10, McSweeney in particular, one of his proteges. "And I think the civil servants got the message, he's going to get the job no matter what, get on with it," McDonnell told LBC. "I wonder how much was told to Keir and how much they were maybe, using that phrase, economic with the truth, with him."McDonnell acknowledged no obvious successor was waiting in the wings, but said changing leaders without changing the culture would solve nothing: "Replacing Keir Starmer with Wes Streeting or anyone else or Angela Rayner or whatever, but still having the same toxic culture — we're back here again."He described Andy Burnham as the "obvious replacement who was emerging," but noted that he had been blocked from standing in a by-election.
"We need an absolute clean out," he said. "And I think if Keir can do anything, that's one of the things he should address."On whether he would personally call for Starmer to go, McDonnell said he wanted "to know the truth" before making a decision. He added: "I think he will take the responsibility into his own hands if he thinks he's done something wrong. I actually do think he'll have the responsibility on his shoulders to take that decision. But let's see what comes out of next week." LBC has approached Morgan McSweeney for comment.
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