The case for keeping Starmer
Political Fix
Financial Times
4.2 • 1.2K Ratings
🗓️ 27 March 2026
⏱️ 38 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Sir Keir Starmer’s authority is slipping and Westminster is alive with speculation about potential successors. But chief political commentator Robert Shrimsley joins host Lucy Fisher, alongside deputy opinion editor Miranda Green and public policy editor Chris Smyth, to argue why he believes Labour may be better off sticking with Starmer. The panel also discuss the government’s plans to ban political donations in cryptocurrency and cap overseas donations at £100,000 a year. What does it mean for Reform UK, which has been a major beneficiary of overseas donors and crypto donations?
Have a question for the panel? We’re planning a question and answer episode. Email your questions to politicalfix@ft.com
Follow Lucy on X: @LOS_Fisher, and Bluesky: @lucyfisher.ft.com; Robert: @robertshrimsley and @robertshrimsley.bsky.social;
Miranda @greenmiranda and @greenmirandahere.bsky.social; & Chris @Smyth_Chris and @chris-smyth.bsky.social
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Presented by Lucy Fisher. Produced by Nisha Patel. Manuela Saragosa is the executive producer. Original music and sound engineering by Breen Turner. The broadcast engineer was Bianca Wakeman and Petros Gioumpasis. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s global head of audio.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Who on earth would want to be Prime Minister right now? |
| 0:05.0 | And is Kyr Stama the least bad option Britain's got? |
| 0:09.0 | Welcome to Political Fix from the Financial Times with me, Lucy Fisher. |
| 0:14.0 | This episode we're going to be discussing the case for saving Stama. |
| 0:18.0 | Yes, you had that right. |
| 0:20.0 | Plus, shining a light on the dark money in UK politics. |
| 0:23.8 | Overseas donations to UK political parties have been capped, |
| 0:27.1 | but when it comes to foreign influence, |
| 0:29.3 | will the new restrictions make a difference? |
| 0:32.4 | With me to unpick at all are the FTs UK chief political commentator Robert Shimsley. |
| 0:36.7 | Hi, Robert. |
| 0:38.9 | Hello, Lucy. The FT's Deputy Opinion editor Miranda. Hello Miranda. Hi Lucy. And the FT's public policy editor, Chris Smyth. |
| 0:45.3 | Hi, Chris. Hi, Lucy. Well, let's kick off then with the case for saving Stama, which Robert is |
| 0:52.4 | inspired by your column this week, although I should point out, you've hedged slightly. The headline is the case for saving Stama, which Robert is inspired by your column this week, |
| 0:57.0 | although I should point out, you've hedged slightly. |
| 1:00.3 | The headline is the case for keeping Stama a little longer. |
| 1:04.3 | And I have to say, before we hear your pitch, I love this line in your piece. |
| 1:07.5 | There are reasons why Labour MPs should not rush to action, the first being that it is never true that things cannot get worse. |
| 1:12.5 | Not the biggest endorsement of the current Prime Minister. |
| 1:15.1 | No, I mean, look, to be absolutely clear, the case for removing Kirstama as Prime Minister, |
| 1:20.6 | particularly from the Labour Party, and this piece was written very much from the point of view |
| 1:23.6 | of what people in the Labour Party might think. |
... |
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