Peter and the wolves: Mandelson falls but Epstein scandal spreads
The Intelligence from The Economist
The Economist
4.5 • 3.7K Ratings
🗓️ 4 February 2026
⏱️ 20 minutes
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Summary
Peter Mandelson was a totem of Britain’s Labour party for decades. The newest Epstein files mark the end of his political career. What are the consequences for the country’s prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer? Ryanair is controversial and widely hated—yet strangely successful. And why so many animals engage in same-sex relationships.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The Economist. |
| 0:10.1 | Hello and welcome to the intelligence from The Economist. |
| 0:13.3 | I'm Jason Palmer. |
| 0:14.5 | And I'm Rosie Bloor. |
| 0:15.9 | Every weekday, we provide a fresh perspective on the events shaping your world. |
| 0:25.1 | Thank you. we provide a fresh perspective on the events shaping your world. Love it or hate it, and really a lot of people with any opinion at all hate it, |
| 0:30.1 | Ryanair is a low-cost airline success story. |
| 0:33.7 | We ask how it's gained such a lead over its competitors, |
| 0:36.6 | even though it never much focused on treating customers well. |
| 0:40.3 | And the natural world provides many examples of homosexual behaviour. |
| 0:46.3 | But what characteristics connect the different animals, or their communities that display it? |
| 0:51.3 | The answer suggests that it's not about fun or pleasure, it's for survival. |
| 0:57.0 | But first... |
| 1:06.0 | The fallout from the latest Jeffrey Epstein file release is continuing, not least in Britain. |
| 1:15.0 | It's raised further difficult questions for the former Prince Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson. |
| 1:22.1 | But the greatest odium has been heaped on a totem of Britain's Labour Party, |
| 1:27.0 | as one of the biggest political |
| 1:28.3 | scandals of recent decades now unfolds. After about three decades of being one of the most |
| 1:36.9 | influential people in politics, Peter Manelson's career now finally appears to be completely over. |
| 1:43.7 | After pretty shocking emails, he sent to Jeffrey Epstein, the billionaire pedophile financier, |
| 1:49.7 | emerged. |
| 1:51.4 | Duncan Robinson is our Britain political editor. |
... |
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