The Mandelson-Starmer saga stumbles on
Political Fix
Financial Times
4.2 • 1.2K Ratings
🗓️ 24 April 2026
⏱️ 37 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The rolling drama over the appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson as US ambassador is eating the government alive, with more committee hearings coming next week and crucial elections for Labour on May 7. This week’s host Miranda Green discusses the cost of the Mandelson saga for Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership with deputy political editor Jim Pickard, political correspondent Anna Gross and public policy editor Chris Smyth. Plus, the panel debates Ed Miliband’s electricity announcement, Reform’s new plan for mass deportations, and a booming but dysfunctional market in business courses.
Follow: Miranda:@greenmiranda and @greenmirandahere.bsky.social; Jim: @PickardJE and @pickardje.bsky.social, Anna: @AnnaSophieGross and annasophiegross.bsky.social Chris: @Smyth_Chris and @chris-smyth.bsky.social
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | It seems to have become a never-ending story. |
| 0:06.0 | The Mandelson saga just keeps sapping energy and authority from Starmer's premiership. |
| 0:12.0 | Welcome to Political Fix from the Financial Times with me, Miranda Green, in the chair while Lucy is away this week. |
| 0:19.0 | Coming up, what the rolling dramas over the appointment of Lord Mandelson as US ambassador |
| 0:24.8 | tells us about the state and the fate of Starmer's premiership. |
| 0:30.0 | It's the story that's now eating a government alive. |
| 0:34.2 | And with Labour facing important elections on May the 7th. |
| 0:41.3 | But believe it or not, this is not the only story in town. This week saw ministers propose a major change to electricity pricing. |
| 0:45.3 | There are massive implications of reforms promise on deportations, |
| 0:50.3 | and we looked at a booming but dysfunctional market in undergraduate business courses. |
| 0:56.5 | More of that later, but here to bring us up to date, we're joined by Jim Picard, Deputy Political |
| 1:00.6 | Editor, Hello, Jim. |
| 1:01.7 | Hi, Miranda. |
| 1:02.5 | Anna Gross, political correspondent. |
| 1:04.2 | Hello, Anna. |
| 1:04.9 | Hi, Miranda. |
| 1:05.7 | And Chris Smythe, Public Policy Editor, Hello, Chris. |
| 1:08.8 | Hello, Miranda. |
| 1:13.4 | Right, Jim, I'm starting with you because you've been following the Mandelson's story literally for years now. |
| 1:19.9 | When we left the studio last week, it was reaching this sort of current stage, which is the Foreign Office's most senior civil servant, |
| 1:28.4 | Olly Robbins, was about to be sacked for not informing the Prime Minister about Lord |
| 1:33.0 | Mandelton's diplomatic vetting check warnings. Then on Monday, the PM had to make a very |
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