Morgan McSweeney
Updated: 12/11/2025, 6:01:16 PM Wikipedia source
Morgan McSweeney (born 1977) is an Irish and British political strategist. He has served as Downing Street Chief of Staff under Prime Minister Keir Starmer since October 2024. McSweeney was the campaign manager for the Labour Party and director of the think tank Labour Together. McSweeney built a reputation as a Labour organiser, leading successful campaigns to win a majority on the Lambeth London Borough Council and to defeat the far-right British National Party in Barking and Dagenham. In 2017, he formed Labour Together during the Labour Party leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, where he sought to replace Corbyn and to reduce left-wing influence in the party. In 2020, he led Starmer's successful Labour leadership campaign and subsequently Labour's successful campaign in the 2024 general election. In June 2024, The New Statesman ranked McSweeney first on a list of the most influential shaping progressive politics in the UK, having described him as Starmer's "most trusted aide". In October 2023, The Times stated that "nobody without elected office wields as much power in British politics as McSweeney".
Infobox
Prime Minister
Keir Starmer
Deputy
mw- Vidhya AlakesonJill Cuthbertson
Preceded by
Karie Murphy
Succeeded by
Sam White
Leader
Keir Starmer
Born
(1977-04-19) 19 April 1977 (age 48)Macroom, County Cork, Ireland
Political party
Labour
Spouse
Imogen Walker
Children
1
Education
Middlesex University
Party
Labour
Tables
· References
| Preceded bySue Gray | Downing Street Chief of Staff 2024–present | Incumbent |
References
- The Telegraphhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/10/06/sue-gray-live-resigns-as-starmers-cheif-of-staff/
- The Telegraphhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/07/06/morgan-mcsweeney-the-numbers-genius-behind-labours-victory/
- New Statesmanhttps://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-politics/2024/06/new-statesman-left-power-list-2024
- New Statesmanhttps://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-politics/2023/05/the-new-statesmans-left-power-list
- The Timeshttps://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/morgan-mcsweeney-the-real-power-behind-starmer-who-would-rather-stay-in-the-shadows-sdx2dzqxw
- The Timeshttps://archive.today/20240602143812/https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/morgan-mcsweeney-the-workaholic-irishman-who-built-starmers-labour-239ndrhdr
- The Timeshttps://archive.today/20240531212021/https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/morgan-mcsweeney-the-real-power-behind-starmer-who-would-rather-stay-in-the-shadows-sdx2dzqxw
- The Timeshttps://archive.today/20240603162122/https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/keir-starmer-prime-minister-morgan-mcsweeney-investigation-65fnh8zrt
- New Statesmanhttps://www.newstatesman.com/politics/labour/2022/11/morgan-mcsweeney-labour-power-broker
- Jerusalem Posthttps://www.jpost.com/international/article-848931
- The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/oct/27/labour-together-thinktank-keir-starmer-labour-leader
- The Sunday Timeshttps://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/how-labour-beat-far-right-barking-dagenham-xtw5xbjhs
- The Observerhttps://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/sep/14/corbyn-had-flown-too-close-to-the-sun-how-labour-insiders-battled-the-left-and-plotted-the-partys-path-back-to-power
- The Telegraphhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2023/11/12/labour-group-fined-failing-to-declare-donations/
- The Independenthttps://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/starmer-adviser-morgan-mcsweeney-election-b1869165.html
- New Statesmanhttps://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-politics/2023/05/the-new-statesmans-left-power-list
- The Timeshttps://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/keir-starmers-not-driving-the-train-confessions-of-his-inner-circle-mq2kbg39x
- The Timeshttps://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/scottish-showdown-is-a-seminal-moment-for-keir-starmer-vj3w8m2lz
- Financial Timeshttps://www.ft.com/content/5af11638-2189-4f25-8333-a3360d348725
- The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/jan/03/labours-poll-lead-could-still-collapse-shadow-ministers-warned
- Politicohttps://www.politico.eu/newsletter/london-playbook/rishi-sunaks-looming-leadership-crisis/
- The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/jul/08/who-are-the-key-people-inside-labours-leadership-team
- Politicohttps://www.politico.eu/article/chief-of-staff-sue-gray-labour-party-keir-starmer-british-politics/
- Financial Timeshttps://www.ft.com/content/70044bcb-3468-4192-8e70-e90221c6b1b5
- The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/aug/16/no-10-power-struggle-rumours-sue-gray-morgan-mcsweeney
- Sky Newshttps://news.sky.com/story/politics-latest-tory-conference-leadership-jenrick-badenoch-cleverly-tugendhat-12593360
- Bloomberg Newshttps://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-09-11/mandelson-downfall-puts-new-scrutiny-on-starmer-s-chief-of-staff
- The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/sep/11/spotlight-falls-on-starmer-political-judgment-after-mandelson-sacking
- Sky Newshttps://news.sky.com/story/no-10-appointed-mandelson-despite-security-concerns-sky-news-understands-13428814
- BBC Newshttps://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjd1egrlj0mo
- Financial Timeshttps://www.ft.com/content/3c78b858-9364-47b8-8a5b-3d51a8a9bfe4
- The Timeshttps://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/peter-mandelson-jeffrey-epstein-emails-lfrkswb5q
- Financial Timeshttps://www.ft.com/content/1487ddbc-11ef-4222-bf95-abdb2ccd7e5a
- The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/sep/12/keir-starmer-warned-time-running-out-to-repair-faltering-premiership
- The Timeshttps://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/morgan-mcsweeney-keir-starmer-scrutiny-labour-rr3pqmdzt
- The Telegraphhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/09/13/labour-mps-turn-on-mcsweeney/
- Starmer defies calls to sack chief of staff, claiming briefing didn’t come from No 10https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/nov/13/briefings-against-ministers-didnt-come-from-downing-street-says-starmer
- ‘Look out for fireworks’: power struggle rumours between No 10 big beasts persisthttps://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/aug/16/no-10-power-struggle-rumours-sue-gray-morgan-mcsweeney
- New Statesmanhttps://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-politics/2024/06/new-statesman-left-power-list-2024
- Politico Europehttps://www.politico.eu/article/westminster-power-couples-2025-edition/
- The New Europeanhttps://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/james-ball-will-morgan-mcsweeney-wreck-labour/
- The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/oct/07/whos-who-in-keir-starmers-reshaped-top-team
- New Statesmanhttps://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-politics/2025/02/politics-age-chiefs-of-staff-morgan-mcsweeney-dominic-cummings
- The Spectatorhttps://www.spectator.co.uk/article/morgan-mcsweeney-is-the-new-peter-mandelson/
- The Independenthttps://www.independent.co.uk/voices/starmer-mcsweeney-b2694103.html
- iNewshttps://inews.co.uk/news/politics/the-most-influential-man-in-the-labour-party-youve-never-heard-of-3670317
- New Statesmanhttps://www.newstatesman.com/politics/labour/2024/10/morgan-mcsweeney-permanent-insurgent
- The Financial Timeshttps://www.ft.com/content/9bb98639-4571-4302-8d87-01d239034b11
- The Spectatorhttps://www.spectator.co.uk/article/morgan-mcsweeney-is-urging-keir-starmer-to-go-for-the-kill
- "Ministerial appointments: September 2025"https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ministerial-appointments-5-september-2025
- www.thetimes.comhttps://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/scottish-labour-mps-ministerial-ladder-ian-murray-michael-shanks-imogen-walker-6slrpdvjs
- New Statesmanhttps://www.newstatesman.com/politics/labour/2022/11/morgan-mcsweeney-labour-power-broker
- The Timeshttps://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/can-the-snp-recover-from-labour-landslide-d00rhcn0c
- TheJournal.iehttps://www.thejournal.ie/morgan-mcsweeney-cork-labour-party-keir-starmer-6428429-Jul2024/