Bonus episode: Has Keir Starmer made a huge mistake sacking Olly Robbins over Mandelson vetting?
4/17/202629 min
There’s a new development in the Mandelson-Epstein-Starmer scandal – and as usual, it raises more questions over No. 10’s dealings than it answers.
In this emergency broadcast Helen and Cleo break down the newest revelations about Mandelson’s failed security vetting: Why did the Foreign Office overrule it? How do these processes actually work? And could sacking Olly Robbins shape up to be Starmer’s biggest mistake?
Find the best clips from the podcast and more from Helen and Cleo on the show's Instagram page here.
This podcast is part of The Independent Podcast Network and is produced in association with Next Chapter Studios
Executive Producers: Olivia Foster and Carrie Rose
Producer: Sam Durham
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsSpeaker 10:00
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Helen MacNamara· Host0:29
So our latest episode has just come out. But, uh, since we recorded, another big row has erupted on Peter Mandelson again and the Prime Minister's knowledge or not knowledge of what has happened. And we thought it was too important, given how much we've talked about Mandelson on the podcast so far, to let that pass by without giving you... Well, n- it's not an emergency podcast, it's an em- emergency broadcast, I guess, Cleo.
Cleo Watson· Host0:57
Yesterday, The Guardian reported that the Prime Minister had been told on Tuesday, today is Friday, that contrary to what he'd said all along about proper processes being followed, which we talk about in episode two, Peter Mandelson had in fact failed his security vetting to be US ambassador. But the Foreign Office apparently overruled this at the time. The security vetting took place in early twenty twenty-five after the Prime Minister had already announced Mandelson into the role, which is very much kind of closing