Why the Mandelson files matter for Starmer's future episode artwork

EPISODE · Mar 13, 2026 · 50 MIN

Why the Mandelson files matter for Starmer's future

from Electoral Dysfunction

Keir Starmer has already admitted appointing Peter Mandelson as US Ambassador was a mistake. But after the first batch of documents was released, Beth, Ruth and Harriet ask the big question: we still don’t know how big that ‘mistake’ it was – could it get worse with what is yet to come out about what the Prime Minister knew about Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein?In this episode we break down:What’s in the first tranche of documents around Peter Mandelson’s appointmnet (and what’s still missing)The red flags raised before Mandelson was appointed and why the process looks so rushedWhat “developed vetting” actually is, and why it could become the key detailThe growing political risk for Starmer, including questions around what was said in the CommonsPeter Mandelson has consistently denied any criminal wrongdoing and he is cooperating with the police investigation.Plus, a powerful moment in Parliament this week as Labour MPs Charlotte Nichols and Natalie Fleet speak about their own experiences as victims. How do their stories feed into the government’s legal reforms? And what would the plans mean for justice, juries and the courts backlog?Got a question for the burner phone? WhatsApp 07934 200 444 or email [email protected].

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Mar 13, 2026

Embed this episode

NOW PLAYING

Why the Mandelson files matter for Starmer's future

0:00 50:14

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.

No similar episodes found.

Wiki Politiki with Steve Bhaerman iOM Radio Network - OMTimes At a time when political polarization, dysfunction, and confusion seem to be at an all-time high, and when noise and static seem to be drowning out sane discourse … the Wiki Politiki Radio Show offers a heartening alternative: Fun, laughter, constructive conversation, and insight.Its purpose is to cultivate the wisdom of many perspectives, and create generative conversations to help us work together to find real solutions to the problems we face … or as Swami would say, “Let’s bring left and right front and center to turn the funk into function, and leave the junk at the junction.”Each week on the Wiki Politiki Radio Show, host Steve Bhaerman (also known as cosmic comic Swami Beyondananda) will bring two “visionary, solutionary” voices to the show to offer their viewpoints, and then collaborate to find a wiser way forward. We’re not expecting our guests to agree about everything. That would be boring and unproductive!We do expect that by speaking The Mother Jones Podcast Mother Jones Each episode will go deep on a big story you’ll definitely want to hear more about. We’ll share with you our best investigations (think private prisons, electoral skullduggery, Dark Money, and Trump's Russia connections), and informative interviews with our reporters and newsmakers. We're hoping to make your week more informed with the stories that really matter, told by us, the folks you trust for smart, fearless reporting. Rachel Maddow Presents: Ultra Rachel Maddow, MS NOW As a new authoritarian movement rises in American politics, stoked by one of the country’s most outrageous demagogues, there is an all-out international manhunt for an American traitor. The U.S. Army’s Nazi war crimes trials in Germany have been infiltrated by a spy -- a mole for the other side. A gruesome foreign influence operation unfolds in Washington. A blackmail plot turns deadly in the U.S. Senate. A Hail Mary scheme to stop the counting of the Electoral College votes rattles democracy’s cage. With the line between the violent ultra-right and mainstream American politics fraying beyond recognition, with the FBI always one step behind their quarry, Americans of all stripes step up to confront a seemingly unstoppable, ascendant, anti-democratic force.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Electoral Dysfunction?

This episode is 50 minutes long.

When was this Electoral Dysfunction episode published?

This episode was published on March 13, 2026.

Can I download this Electoral Dysfunction episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!