London
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\n The chief of staff to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer resigned on Sunday over the scandal around Peter Mandelson\u2019s appointment<\/a> as UK ambassador to the US, despite his links to disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cThe decision to appoint Peter Mandelson was wrong. He has damaged our party, our country and trust in politics itself,\u201d Morgan McSweeney said in a statement to reporters on Sunday.\n <\/p>\n \n The Downing Street chief of staff is the most senior political adviser to the UK prime minister.\n <\/p>\n \n McSweeney said he took \u201cfull responsibility\u201d for advising Starmer to make the appointment last year, adding \u201cin the circumstances, the only honourable course is to step aside.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cWhile I did not oversee the due diligence and vetting process, I believe that process must now be fundamentally overhauled. This cannot simply be a gesture but a safeguard for the future,\u201d McSweeney said.\n <\/p>\n \n Starmer thanked the outgoing chief of staff for his service and commitment to the Labour Party. \u201cIt is largely thanks to his dedication, loyalty and leadership that we won a landslide majority and have the chance to change the country,\u201d the prime minister said in a statement.\n <\/p>\n \n The most recent tranche of Epstein files<\/a> released by the US Justice Department triggered a police investigation into Mandelson, who has been accused of passing on market-sensitive government information that was of clear financial interest to Epstein following the 2008 financial crisis. Police raided two of Mandelson\u2019s properties<\/a> on Friday as part of their investigation into misconduct in public office.\n <\/p>\n \n Mandelson resigned from the Labour Party last Sunday and quit the House of Lords, the upper chamber of Britain\u2019s parliament, on Wednesday. CNN has been unable to contact Mandelson this week.\n <\/p>\n