The Mandelson scandal could spell the end for Starmer

Another impressive PMQs from Kemi Badenoch – but she had plenty of ammunition to deploy after the Peter Mandelson scandal took a bleaker turn this week.

The Prime Minister clearly wanted to make a strong statement in his first answer to Kemi Badenoch, saying that ‘Mandelson betrayed our country, our parliament and my party’. He added: ‘He lied repeatedly to my team when asked about his relationship with Epstein before and during his tenure as ambassador. I regret appointing him.’ He then listed the actions he had taken to strip Mandelson of his title, remove him from the Privy Council, and refer material to the Metropolitan Police.

The whole thing exposed Starmer’s biggest weaknesses: his over-reliance on process and his inability to consider how the public see him. There is a lot of support for a full public inquiry, which seems more fitting to the magnitude of this scandal. As the evidence piles in and the scandal rumbles on, is this the beginning of the end for the prime minister – or are we even further along than that?

James Heale speaks to Tim Shipman and Isabel Hardman.

Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Megan McElroy.

Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.

For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(3322)

Inside Reform's by-election masterplan

Nigel Farage’s Clacton by-election gamble has not gone quite to plan: the major parties have called his bluff and refused to stand. Is this now a Potemkin by-election – or has Farage still succeeded i...

8 Jul 17min

Nigel Farage rage quits

Nigel Farage has resigned as an MP to force a by-election in Clacton, where he intends to stand again.It comes as scrutiny mounts over Reform UK’s funding, the £5 million gift Farage received from the...

7 Jul 13min

Has Farage blown it?

Nigel Farage is facing fresh questions over his finances, after reports about George Cottrell – ‘Posh George’ – and his role in funding staff and security for Reform before the 2024 election. The part...

6 Jul 18min

Isabel Hardman's Sunday Roundup - 05/07/2026

Isabel Hardman presents highlights from Sunday morning’s political shows.Nigel Farage is in the spotlight again over his finances. And Labour back Andy Burnham to deliver change.Become a Spectator sub...

5 Jul 15min

Anthony Scaramucci on Trump, Corruption & America at 250

As Americans mark the 250th anniversary of the 1776 Declaration of Independence, Anthony Scaramucci joins the Spectator to provide his assessment of the health of the nation. As we approach the halfwa...

4 Jul 34min

REVEALED: Treasury abandons numeracy to boost diversity

A scoop by The Spectator’s news editor has taken Westminster by storm this week, after it emerged that the Treasury had ditched the numerical reasoning test for its high-flying graduate scheme. Oscar ...

3 Jul 11min

Reform is right to fear the return of Boris

Boris is (sort of) on manoeuvres, as Tim Shipman reports in this week’s magazine. There are signs that the former Conservative prime minister and one-time editor of this magazine could emerge from his...

2 Jul 16min

The secrets of the Spectator summer party

As the nation holds its breath to see if England will be progressing in the World Cup, the bottles of Pol Roger are on ice for the post-match after party: the Spectator's summer party, taking place th...

1 Jul 17min