Starmer was told to vet Mandelson first. So why didn’t he? episode artwork

EPISODE · Apr 20, 2026 · 35 MIN

Starmer was told to vet Mandelson first. So why didn’t he?

from The News Agents

Keir Starmer is still pleading his case before MPs. Should he have been told about the failed Mandelson vetting by Olly Robbins? Should he have asked? Who’s fault was it really that he didn’t find out until last Tuesday. And why, critically, did he ignore a letter of advice from then cabinet secretary Simon Case explicitly telling him to vet Mandelson BEFORE appointing him. We still have no clear answer…The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

NOW PLAYING

Starmer was told to vet Mandelson first. So why didn’t he?

0:00 35:10

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of The News Agents?

This episode is 35 minutes long.

When was this The News Agents episode published?

This episode was published on April 20, 2026.

What is this episode about?

Keir Starmer is still pleading his case before MPs. Should he have been told about the failed Mandelson vetting by Olly Robbins? Should he have asked? Who’s fault was it really that he didn’t find out until last Tuesday. And why, critically, did he...

Can I download this The News Agents episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!