This is The Guardian.

The Prime Minister has taken responsibility for Peter Mandelson's appointment as ambassador to the United States.

He has acknowledged it was a mistake and has apologised.

Maybe the Prime Minister was lied to, but he was lied to by an inveterate liar who had been fired twice before.

And we're supposed to believe, Madam Deputy Speaker, that the Prime Minister, who was once the chief prosecutor in this country, couldn't see through this nonsense.

It beggars belief. And part of the problem is that these taxes are put on by politicians who don't fill up their own cars or who ride bicycles in North London.

Which is why, as I said yesterday, the most important thing we can do

to address the cost of living challenges people face

is to de-escalate the conflict in the

Middle East, which is exactly what this government are attempting to do.

I'm Pippa Carrera.

And I'm Peter Walker.

And you're listening to Politics Weekly for the Guardian.

Hello.

Hi. Hello.

Well, we're here recording our normal podcast, but with a slightly different cast list for you this week, I'm here at home.

And I'm joined by Peter, who's in our Westminster office.

So if you get the bongs of Big Ben in the background or the scurry of colleagues coming in and out the room as breaking news happens, and that's

why.

Kieran, of course, is away in Brussels for a few days.

So he's missed all the excitement, Peter, hasn't he?

Well, we had the first release of the Peter Mandelson documents yesterday.

...