Could the Mandelson Scandal bring Starmer down?
Political Currency
Persephonica
4.1 • 1.5K Ratings
🗓️ 5 February 2026
⏱️ 58 minutes
🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS
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Summary
In this episode we discuss details from the Epstein files, with references to sexual exploitation and some strong language.
We begin this week with the growing political fallout from the Epstein files, following the release of thousands of emails by the US Department of Justice detailing Peter Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. The revelations have prompted comparisons with the Profumo affair and raised serious questions about judgment, power, and trust at the heart of British politics.
Ed Balls and George Osborne discuss their shock at the extent of the released emails , how it has reignited scrutiny of Keir Starmer’s decision-making, and whether this crisis could bring the Prime Minister down.
Epstein’s connections with British elites goes beyond Westminster however. His well documented friendship with the former Prince, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, has once again put the Royal Family under pressure. How can King Charles deal with a scandal of this magnitude? And for others implicated in these files, like the Clintons and Donald Trump, what might follow?
Overshadowed in the noise of the Epstein files was the long-awaited appointment of Jerome Powell’s successor as chair of the Federal Reserve, and it was announced last week that Kevin Warsh was Trump’s pick. Ed and George reflect on their personal interactions with Warsh. What kind of Central Banker will he be? How will he differ from Powell? And, how might he handle political pressure from Trump’s White House?
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Credits:
Research: Sam Burton
Production: Caillin McDaid & Caitlin Caitlin Hanrahan
Video Editor: Avi Asher
Executive Producer: Ellie Clifford
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is Political Coancy with Ed Bulls and George Osborne. |
| 0:32.2 | So we are remote today, not because George Osborne is travelling around the world in one of his jobs, but because he is in charge of childcare and is having to do the nursery drop off and then take over again shortly mid-morning. So we're going to squeeze our podcast in around his wider responsibilities. I think, though, George, we can continue to celebrate a week on the political podcast of the year, 2026 and also Ellie, producer of the year. Do you have your award there? I've still got, because we're at home, I've still got the award. |
| 0:55.1 | I haven't been able to take it into the studio. I know you're beginning to suspect that you're never going to get your hands on it. Although it's a joint award, you know, possession is nine tenths of the law. That is true. By the way, congratulations, lovely haircut you've got. Thank you. |
| 1:08.9 | You know when you have a partner and you don't notice their haircut and they take a fence? |
| 1:13.6 | Yes. |
| 1:14.2 | I know you're only my brother. Congratulations, lovely haircut you've got. Thank you. You know when you have a partner and you don't notice their haircut and they take offence? |
| 1:13.5 | Yes. |
| 1:14.2 | I know you're only my podcast partner, but what a nice haircut you got. |
| 1:17.5 | I think you are remembering the fact that I failed to notice a vet's haircut. |
| 1:20.5 | And yes, that didn't go down well, not least the discussion on the podcast where I admitted it. |
| 1:26.5 | However, politics, since we won UK political |
| 1:29.4 | podcast of the year, has been completely wild. It has been one of the most turbulent few days I can |
| 1:35.2 | remember people saying the biggest political, potentially legal scandal since the Profumo |
| 1:41.2 | affair of 1963, Kier Starrmer's worst week. That is all the consequence of |
| 1:46.8 | more revelations and emails released in America by the Department of Justice shining the spotlight |
| 1:52.1 | on former UK ambassador to the US, Peter Mandelson's relationship to Jeffrey Epstein. And we're |
| 1:57.5 | going to talk about that first, because this is turning into a full-blown |
| 2:01.5 | crisis for Kirstearner. |
| 2:03.3 | Yeah, there's so much to unpack on that. |
| 2:05.7 | But we're also going to look at how the Epstein scandal is sending shockwaves beyond number 10, |
| 2:11.7 | starting with Buckingham Palace, Charles's brother, Andrew, but also the wider impact on figures in American politics, |
| 2:20.2 | the Crown Princess of Norway, and what it all means for the President of the United States. |
... |
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