Quite right!: Why Mandelson had to go & the legacy of Charlie Kirk
Best of the Spectator
The Spectator
4.4 • 785 Ratings
🗓️ 11 September 2025
⏱️ 43 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this bonus episode Michael and Madeline tackle two extraordinary political stories. First, the dramatic resignation of Peter Mandelson as Britain’s US ambassador, following renewed scrutiny of his links to Jeffrey Epstein. Why did Keir Starmer take so long to act – and what does the debacle reveal about his leadership style?
Then, across the Atlantic, America is reeling from the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Michael and Madeline reflect on the tragedy, what it means for free speech, and whether political violence is reshaping the way debate happens in the public square.
Produced by Oscar Edmondson, Oscar Bicket and Matt Miszczak.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello, I'm Michael Gove. |
| 0:03.0 | And I'm Madeleine Grant. |
| 0:04.4 | Apologies to interrupt the smooth running of this fantastic Spectator podcast, but we want to tell you about our new podcast, quite right, which is out now. |
| 0:12.9 | Each week we unpacked the stories that piqued our interest, amused us, or drove us to exasperation. |
| 0:18.8 | It's a place for politics, culture and philosophy, |
| 0:22.2 | with perspectives that you won't get anywhere else. |
| 0:24.9 | Search quite right, |
| 0:26.0 | wherever you get your podcasts. |
| 0:27.8 | Find the full episode in Vision |
| 0:29.4 | on our YouTube channel, Spectator TV. |
| 0:32.0 | That's quite right. |
| 0:33.2 | From The Spectator, out now. |
| 0:51.7 | Hello, and welcome to Quite Right, the new podcast from The Spectator, |
| 0:55.7 | which looks for sanity and common sense in a world, |
| 0:59.7 | especially this week, that seems increasingly devoid of both. |
| 1:02.0 | I'm Michael Gove, editor of The Spectator. |
| 1:06.6 | And I'm Madeline Grant, assistant editor and parliamentary sketchwriter at The Spectator. We've decided to put together a bonus podcast because a week is apparently a very long time in politics. |
| 1:18.5 | Today has seen the resignation of the US ambassador Peter Mandelson due to his association with the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. |
| 1:25.7 | And also the tragic news overnight that Trump ally |
| 1:28.3 | and conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot dead in Utah in an act of political violence. |
| 1:34.5 | I think we should start with Mandelson, but I mean where to begin on, I suppose, the story |
| 1:40.8 | itself, but also the question that is on many people's minds, which is how on earth, given the inevitability of this sacking, did it take Keir Stama a full 24 hours to do what seemed inevitable? |
... |
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