Exclusive:Scottish Labour MP says Keir Starmer's leadership 'is a sinking ship' after Peter Mandelson sacking

The MP said “it is just a matter of time” before the Prime Minister is ousted from office.

But the Prime Minister will not boot out his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, the MP claimed.

Sir Keir sacked US ambassador Peter Mandelson on Thursday after revelations about the peer’s relationship with notorious paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Sir Keir defended Lord Mandelson at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, only for him to be binned a day later.

One MP said the PM was living on borrowed time. They told The Scotsman: “It’s a sinking ship. It’s just a matter of time.

“The question is more when he is going to do it.”

Mr McSweeney has come under fire after reports suggested it was him who pushed for Lord Mandelson to be made US ambassador despite his known links with Epstein.

But the MP said the Irishman, who is married to Hamilton and Clyde Valley MP Imogen Walker, was unlikely to be shown the door.

They added: “There’s no way the Prime Minister will get rid of Morgan McSweeney. He relies on him too much. It’s more likely it would be the other way round.”

Another MP said the Lord Mandelson debacle was “damaging” and “problematic”. They said Sir Keir should have sacked the peer sooner.

“I was surprised the Prime Minister didn’t act as soon as the Epstein photos came out,” the MP told The Scotsman.

“It has been problematic. The Mandelson stuff has been damaging.”

They added: “From a Scottish perspective, we are getting on with it. We have an election next year.”

Lord Mandelson was sacked as Britain’s ambassador to the US on Thursday after emails emerged in which the peer offered support to Epstein even as the financier faced jail for sex offences.

The ousted ambassador’s friendship with Epstein was known prior to his appointment. But reports in The Sun and Bloomberg showed the pair’s relationship had continued after the financiers crimes had emerged.

Emails published on Wednesday afternoon included passages in which Lord Mandelson had told Epstein to “fight for early release” shortly before he was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

He is also reported to have told Epstein “I think the world of you” the day before the disgraced financier began his sentence for soliciting prostitution from a minor in June 2008.

Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander said Sir Keir would not have appointed Lord Mandelson if he had known the depth of his relationship with Epstein.