4.4 • 6.4K Ratings
🗓️ 12 November 2025
⏱️ 34 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Today, there has been extensive speculation about the extent to which Sir Keir Starmer was aware of the anonymous briefings attacking potential leadership challengers in his own party. Sir Keir Starmer has insisted he has "never authorised" attacks on his cabinet ministers, calling briefings against them "unacceptable".
Adam and Chris are joined by Alex Forsyth to discuss why this could be a sign of deeper problems for the Labour government, rather than just Westminster bubble gossip.
Plus Adam and Alex give an update on Donald Trump’s threat of legal action against the BBC, after Ed Davey questioned Keir Starmer on the matter at PMQs. You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers. You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscord
Get in touch with Newscast by emailing [email protected] or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.
New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Rufus Gray with Kris Jalowiecki and Jem Westgate. The social producer was Grace Braddock. The technical producer was Ricardo McCarthy. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, Music, radio, podcasts. |
| 0:06.0 | Hello, if you were watching or listening to the news on Wednesday morning, |
| 0:09.8 | you would have heard the Health Secretary Wes Streeting using an excellent cultural reference |
| 0:14.3 | to prove that he's not trying to remove Kirst Armer as Prime Minister. |
| 0:18.6 | I'm a faithful. In fact, what you've seen from a silly number 10 source overnight is probably |
| 0:24.6 | the worst attack on a faithful since Joe Marla was banished in the Traitors final. |
| 0:30.2 | So I'm treating it with the same level of seriousness that you are this morning. |
| 0:35.9 | This followed an intense, and I mean intense bout |
| 0:39.1 | of speculation at Westminster about Keir Starmour's leadership. And it is actually very significant, |
| 0:45.6 | even if you might think it doesn't sound that significant. So that's what we're going to talk about |
| 0:49.2 | on this episode of Newscast. Newscast from the BBC. Fat boy sliver me in the classroom doing our violin lessons. I was the tappletail in the class. Can I have an apology, please? I trust almost nobody. That daddy has to sometimes do strong language. Next time in Moscow. I feel delulu with no solulu. Take me down to Downey Street. Let's go have a tour. Blimey. |
| 1:12.4 | Hello, it's Adam in the newscast studio. And it is Chris at Westminster. And it is Alex |
| 1:16.3 | in her makeshift home studio. Good. It's sounding great. It is, yeah. I know. I've got a special |
| 1:21.7 | mic. Oh, and you're a picture of Claudia in the background. It's not Claudia. Adam Fleming. |
| 1:26.5 | It's not Claudia. Oh,ming. It's not Claudia. |
| 1:45.5 | I can't see this. For newscasters merely with headphones in or car stereo's blaring, who is it a picture of? So the brief version, it is a picture I've had for a long time of what I thought was a kind of, you know, cool-looking woman, but she does look a little bit like Claudia Winkleman. And now, of course, Claudia Winkman shot to fame. |
| 1:44.2 | Anyone who sees her in the background assumes it it is some sort of... know, cool looking woman, but she does look a little bit like Claudia Winkleman. And now, of course, |
| 2:04.4 | Claudia Winkleman shot to fame. Anyone who sees her in the background assumes it is some sort of tribute to Claudia. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Nothing wrong with the tribute to Claudia. I'm just for factual purposes stating that that wasn't its original intention. Adam, we need to get a test daily one for the newscast studio, don't we? It's very retro. Well, just know it in the spirit of in the spirit of both faces of Strictly. |
| 2:05.6 | Maybe we should be forward-looking and getting an Alan Carr or an Alex Jones. Right. Okay, actually, talking about Claudia and the |
| 2:11.1 | traitors, I mean, that has come up today in the response to the briefing story from number 10 |
| 2:17.1 | about Keir Stomers premiership. |
| 2:19.5 | I think actually Chris, this is one of those stories where rather than just like diving in |
... |
Transcript will be available on the free plan in 7 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.