Angela Rayner was in high spirits as she indulged in a new haircut, a moment captured on video, while chaos unfolded in Sir Keir Starmer’s administration with the resignation of his chief aide.

The seasoned politician, known for her keen sense of style, opted for a fresh blow-dry and vibrant copper color, fueling speculation about her potential leadership ambitions as whispers of her strategic positioning circulate.

In the TikTok video, Ms. Rayner casually asked her stylist for “the usual,” which translated into retouching her roots with semi-permanent dye and a slight trim to achieve a feathered look at the front.

The timing of the video remains uncertain, yet it surfaced just hours before Morgan McSweeney, Starmer’s chief of staff, stepped down amidst the controversy surrounding Peter Mandelson’s ties with the disgraced Jeffrey Epstein.

McSweeney, acknowledging his role in the controversial decision to appoint Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador to the United States, said he bore “full responsibility,” admitting it was “wrong.”

Having served as one of Sir Keir’s most trusted advisors for nearly six years, McSweeney played a pivotal role in the Prime Minister’s successful 2024 election campaign, making his abrupt departure a significant blow to the administration.

Sir Keir paid tribute to Mr McSweeney on Sunday for having ‘turned our party around’ and said he owned his outgoing aide ‘a debt of gratitude’.

‘It’s been an honour working with Morgan McSweeney for many years,’ the PM said.

‘He turned our party around after one of its worst ever defeats and played a central role running our election campaign.

Angela Rayner got a new haircut in a video posted to TikTok hours before Morgan McSweeney’s resignation

Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney (left) quit Downing Street as the Government continues to reel from the Peter Mandelson scandal

Ms Rayner beamed as she admired her new coiffure as reports grow that she is making leadership manoeuvres behind the scenes

‘It is largely thanks to his dedication, loyalty and leadership that we won a landslide majority and have the chance to change the country.

‘Having worked closely with Morgan in opposition and in Government, I have seen every day his commitment to the Labour Party and to our country.

‘Our party and I owe him a debt of gratitude, and I thank him for his service.’

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch accused Sir Keir of trying to shift the blame for Lord Mandelson’s appointment onto Mr McSweeney.

‘Once again with this PM it’s somebody else’s fault: “Mandelson lied to me” or “Morgan advised me”,’ she said.

‘Keir Starmer has to take responsibility for his own terrible decisions. But he never does.’

But all acounts Sir Keir is facing the worst crisis of his 18-month premiership following the latest set of revelations about Lord Mandelson’s friendship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Many Labour MPs have been openly questioning the PM’s chances of remaining in Downing Street amid the scandal that has engulfed his Government.

Angela Rayner and Sir Keir Starmer were seen as a great political double act at the time of Labour’s election victory in 2024 but their relationship curdled during government. Pictured: The pair on the campaign trail together in May 2021

Sir Keir is facing the worst crisis of his 18-month premiership following fresh revelations about Lord Mandelson’s friendship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein after the PM appointing him UK ambassador to the US

Instead attention is turning among many of the party’s elected representatives towards the cluster of candidates who could viably replace him.

Principal among them is Ms Rayner, who demonstrated her willingness to take on Starmer during an extraordinary Commons session this week.

She demanded Number 10 hand over files relating to Mandelson’s appointment to the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC).

Initially, Starmer had proposed that civil servants should decide which files could be released and which should be held back on national security grounds – but he was forced to capitulate and handed over the material to the ISC.

Ms Rayner took up the role of Starmer’s deputy prime minister when Labour seized power in the summer of 2024, but resigned in September 2025 after she was found to have breached ministerial code by failing to pay a £40,000 stamp duty bill on a flat she purchased.

She is said to now be on leadership ‘manoeuvres’ to get herself the best possible chance at power, should Starmer step down.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, Armed Forces minister Al Carns and Labour deputy leader Lucy Powell are also seen as possible replacements for Sir Keir.

Mr McSweeney’s exit followed reports that both Ms Rayner and David Lammy, the Deputy PM, had warned Sir Keir not to appoint Lord Mandelson as US ambassador. 

When Pat McFadden, Starmer’s Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, was asked about these reports, he told Sky News: ‘It’s up to them. They’re over 21, you know, they’ll have to answer for themselves on what they’re saying.’

An Opinium poll found 55 per cent of the public think Sir Keir should resign, with only a quarter (23 per cent) believing he should remain in post.

Meanwhile, the PM’s approval ratings remain very low with just 17 per cent approving of Sir Keir’s performance – compared to 61 per cent who disapprove.

This gives the PM an overall approval rating of -44, down three points from Opinium’s previous survey.

Morgan McSweeney (left) resigned as Starmer’s chief of staff on Sunday afternoon

It means Sir Keir is more unpopular than all the other major party leaders, including Mrs Badenoch (-9), Reform UK’s Nigel Farage (-11), Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey (-3), and the Green’s Zack Polanski (-3).

A majority of the public (56 per cent) believe Sir Keir should have anticipated the controversy before appointing Lord Mandelson as US ambassador and should not have appointed him.

Only 15 per cent believe the decision was reasonable based on what was known at the time.

Friends of Ms Rayner and potential leadership rival Mr Streeting exchanged bitter remarks amid speculation about a possible contest to replace Sir Keir.

Lord Blunkett told BBC Radio 4: ‘Things are dire. But they’re made more difficult from briefings and counter-briefings.

‘When people see a party acting like ferrets in a sack they draw their conclusions. Once again let’s try and get our act together and speak with a common voice about what we’re about.’

Labour peer Ayesha Hazarika claimed a ‘male power structure’ was the reason why her party had been ‘so seduced’ by Lord Mandelson over the years.

‘He was, you know, seduced by wealth and power and men with yachts and all the culture that goes with that,’ she told Sky News.

‘That is why he got given the job (as US ambassador), because the calculation was these are the slightly tawdry circles in which the US President (Donald Trump) moves.

‘And we need a guy that, you know, swims in these pools, sits in these hot tubs, if you like, with these big guys, they can do business together.

‘And that transactional thought was put over the victims of sex abuse.’

Mr McFadden suggested the focus on Mr McSweeney’s role in Lord Mandelson’s appointment was ‘beside the point’, as he defended both Mr McSweeney and Sir Keir.

‘In the end, it’s a prime ministerial appointment, and I think the stuff about Morgan McSweeney is sort of beside the point,’ the Cabinet minister said.

It has also been revealed that Lord Mandelson received a five-figure payout when he was sacked from the role in September last year.