Judgement day: Starmer’s Mandelson statement ends in jeers
The Daily T
The Telegraph
4.1 • 702 Ratings
🗓️ 20 April 2026
⏱️ 43 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
It’s Keir Starmer’s darkest day in office. In a statement to the Commons this afternoon, the Prime Minister apologised again for appointing Peter Mandelson as US ambassador, but stopped short of admitting to misleading the House about the vetting process.
Despite the Prime Minister laying the blame squarely at the door of the Foreign Office, Camilla and Tim say that the whole sorry saga is the final nail in the coffin for Starmer’s premiership, and he must resign.
Elsewhere, Camilla and Tim look ahead to ousted Foreign Office civil servant Olly Robbins’s appearance before the Select Committee tomorrow, where they expect him to say that he couldn’t act on the results of Mandelson’s vetting as the Government had already announced his appointment.
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Producers: Georgia Coan and Lilian Fawcett
Senior Producer: John Cadigan
Executive Producer: Charlotte Seligman
Video Producer: Will Walters
Studio Operator: Meghan Searle
Editor: Camilla Tominey
Highlights
- Camilla and Tim say the Prime Minister must resign after he failed to admit misleading the House
- They unpack Starmer’s statement about Mandelson’s vetting, a masterclass in buck-passing
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The Telegraph |
| 0:02.0 | This could be Kirstama's darkest day. |
| 0:12.0 | He's apologised for appointing Peter Mandelson, but not admitted to misleading the House of Commons. |
| 0:19.0 | Will that get this beleaguered PM off the hook? |
| 0:22.1 | I was in the Commons to watch his statement |
| 0:23.9 | and we explain why everyone was laughing at his weak excuses. |
| 0:28.1 | I know many members across the House |
| 0:30.2 | will find these facts to be incredible. |
| 0:34.5 | Welcome to the Daily Tea with me Camilla Tomini. |
| 0:37.2 | And me, Tim Stanley. |
| 0:48.5 | Tim, welcome back. I've missed you. You're in your summer suit. |
| 0:51.8 | Too early. I miscalled it. |
| 0:53.5 | No, nothing. You've had a little holiday. |
| 0:54.9 | It was bright and warm when I left the house and now it's freezing cold. |
| 0:57.3 | So I'm dressed like Roger Moore on safari. |
| 0:59.3 | Love it. |
| 0:59.6 | And everyone else is wearing a duffel coat. You're my Roger Moore. Thank you. That's how we sum it up. He is the best bond. Am I your pussy galore or Miss Moneypay? |
| 1:08.2 | Move on. |
| 1:09.1 | Think of you as being Zenia on a top, I think. |
| 1:11.8 | Oh, my God. |
| 1:13.1 | Right, you've hotfitted it back. |
| 1:14.6 | Thank God. miss money pay. Move on. Think of you as being Zenia on a top, I think. |
... |
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