The State of It: Mandelson, Starmer’s original sin comes back to haunt him
4/28/202637 min
Morgan McSweeney has told MPs that the revelations about Peter Mandelson's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein were like a knife through his soul. The more we learn about the appointment process, the madder it sounds. And the odd thing is that crucial decisions were not written down: there are no receipts. There's a mood building in the Labour Party that Keir Starmer will need to go big or go home: come up with a bold agenda, make the case for it and then deliver it. Has he got it in him?
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Hosts: Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times. Patrick Maguire, chief political commentator, The Times. Lara Spirit, deputy political editor, The Sunday Times.
Producers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry Kitson.
Executive producer: Molly Guinness.
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Read more: McSweeney and Barton raise new questions over PM’s judgment
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First 90 secondsManveen Rana· Host0:01
From The Times and The Sunday Times, this is The Story. I'm Manveen Rana. It's been a big day in Westminster. Two major players in the Mandelson saga have been giving evidence to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee. Sir Philip Barton, the former permanent secretary to the Foreign Office, and Morgan McSweeney. As the former chief of staff to the Prime Minister, he used to be one of the most powerful figures in the country, and yet one we rarely hear from. Today, he was being grilled by MPs over the pressure placed on civil servants to wave Peter Mandelson through as the ambassador to America. He described the appointment, with hindsight, as a serious error of judgment. Meanwhile, in Parliament, MPs have been debating whether the Prime Minister may have misled the House. For all the latest and the best insights from the corridors of power, we're bringing you a special edition of our sister podcast, The State of It, with The Times political editor, Stephen Swinford, chief political commentator, Patrick Maguire, and Lara Spiret, deputy political editor of The Sunday Times.