Hello, I'm Hugo Rifkin, and now we're going to be unpacking the politics of the day.

From what we learned in the Mandelson files to the sanity of Donald Trump

and the cabinet minister who carries brown sauce with him wherever he goes.

And I'm joined now by the HP and Daddies of the Times and they are Jenny Russell hello

Jenny hi how are you I'm very well thank you Hugo how are you I'm good good to speak to as always

and Matthew Paris hello hello HP or daddies which do you want to be HP right well that makes

that makes Jenny the daddy works for me look let crack on. We've got a lot of cover.

And as ever, not nearly enough time. The first batch of government correspondence regarding Peter Mandelson's appointment as the US ambassador shows that Kirstarmer ignored a catalogue of warnings from his national security adviser Jonathan Powell, who called Mandelson a disaster.

And also the outgoing ambassador, Karen Pierce, who flagged the reputational risks of his ties to Jeffrey

Epstein. The cabinet minister Nick Thomas Simmons spoke to Times Radio this morning.

The Prime Minister has acknowledged that he made a mistake, acknowledged, believing

reassurances he was given by Peter Mandelson was a mistake

and is crucially apologised to Geoffrey Epstein's victims who have to relive, re-traumatise

every time we're having this discussion. He's now determined to lead that process of change.

Well, the Conservative leader, Kemi Badenach, also spoke to reporters this morning. He has shown a complete process of change. Well, the Conservative leader Kemi Badenov also spoke to reporters this morning.

He has shown a complete lack of judgment, catastrophic error after catastrophic error,

and the only reason why we know any of this is happening is because I asked him at the dispatch box again and again

and also forced the release of the Mandelson files. Jenny, I've been trying to figure out whether I feel I actually learned anything this morning from these emails.

What do you think?

I don't think you learnt very much except for that Jonathan Powell said that he thought this whole process was weirdly rushed

and then we hear from background sources that he also said

to starmer that madison was always a disaster and one waiting to happen but i think it was interesting

...