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Home > Commons People > Why Is Starmer So Vulnerable After The Mandelson Scandal?


	Podcast:		Commons People
	Episode:		Why Is Starmer So Vulnerable After The Mandelson Scandal?
	Category:		News & Politics
	Duration:		00:42:55
	Publish Date:		2026-04-23 15:51:40
	Description:		Welcome back to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. In this week's episode, we discuss the latest developments in the headline-making Peter Mandelson scandal, and whether Keir Starmer's recent conduct towards the civil service – and his past mistakes – are enough to see his premiership crumble. Timecodes 00:00 – Introduction. 01:17 – Who is Peter Mandelson and what's his connection with Jeffrey Epstein? 08:24 – Why did Mandelson get a job if he had failed security vetting? 13:08 – How did Keir Starmer respond? 16:27 – How did senior civil servant Olly Robbins answer to being blamed for getting Mandelson in post? 19:40 – Does former ambassador Karen Pierce not continuing in her role suggest Starmer is running a boys' club? 21:45 – How the Mandelson saga has undermined Keir Starmer's rule-abiding reputation. 23:12 – Why did Starmer take such a gamble on appointing Mandelson? 26:20 – What's next for Keir Starmer as Prime Minister and who would replace him? 36:35 – Morgan McSweeney to give testimony to the Foreign Affairs Committee. 39:00 – Taxpayers will probably fund a large payout for Olly Robbins. 40:00 – How will the Government and the civil service continue working together? 41:30 – Bluffer's Guide and end. You can follow us at @commons.people on Instagram and TikTok. This is a HuffPost UK podcast. Music provided by Epidemic Sounds. Producer: Sam Cleal Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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