Is this the worst hay fever season yet?

What do the latest revelations about Peter Mandelson’s appointment tell us about Keir Starmer’s leadership? What are the long term implications of Iran and the US blocking the Strait of Hormuz? And is climate change’s impact on pollen the source of our hay fever problems? Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer reporter James Tapper, producer and reporter Poppy Bullard and sports reporter Jessy Parker Humphreys, to decide the top story of the day.**We want to hear what you think! Email us at: [email protected] Follow us on Social Media: @ObserverUK on X @theobserveruk on Instagram and [email protected]‬ on bluesky Host: Giles Whittell Producer: Casey Magloire Executive Producer: Jasper CorbettTo find out more about The Observer:Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentHead to our website observer.co.uk Download the Observer app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Apr 23, 2026

What this episode covers

What do the latest revelations about Peter Mandelson’s appointment tell us about Keir Starmer’s leadership? What are the long term implications of Iran and the US blocking the Strait of Hormuz? And is climate change’s impact on pollen the source of our hay fever problems? Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer reporter James Tapper, producer and reporter Poppy Bullard and sports reporter Jessy Parker Humphreys, to decide the top story of the day.**We want to hear what you think! Email us at: [email protected] Follow us on Social Media: @ObserverUK on X @theobserveruk on Instagram and [email protected]‬ on bluesky Host: Giles Whittell Producer: Casey Magloire Executive Producer: Jasper CorbettTo find out more about The Observer:Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentHead to our website observer.co.uk Download the Observer app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

PodParley-generated summary based on available episode metadata and transcript content.