Will Mandelson be Starmer’s downfall?
episodePreviously titled “140: Will Mandelson be Starmer’s downfall?” — renamed by the publisher on Aug 4, 2026
Transcript
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Hi, this is Pod Save the UK. I'm Nish Kumar.
And I'm Coco Kahn. Police are investigating after the latest Epstein files apparently showed the leaking of sensitive financial information by Lord Mandelson when he was in government.
You know it's bad when a photo of Peter Mandelson in his pants is the least horrifying bit of info that's coming out.
What revelations from the Epstein files impact Lord Mandelson?
We'll break it all down for you.
And the economist who predicted the global financial crisis is at it again with her new book. Anne Pettifor will join us to talk about the winners and losers in the global casino. Spoiler alert, the winners are probably already billionaires.
Now, Coco, eagle-eyed viewers and maybe very, very eagle-eared listeners might have noticed that you and I are not in the same room currently.
Do eagles have really good hearing?
I actually don't know. What's something that has good hearing? Mothers when you're saying rude things about them in the next room. That's the one.
Okay.
That's why I was good hearing. The eagle-eared mothers.
Yes. The eagle-eared mothers will know that I'm not in the studio this week. I am beaming in from a, I'd love to, I wanted to say somewhere really tropical and amazing, but I'm just in my in-law's house. So if you hear a landline, they still exist here. Enjoy this blast from the past. Well, I'm sad not to be there with you, not least just so we can console each other over what is genuinely some of the most horrifying news I've seen. And we do this podcast every week.
It's been one of the worst news weeks, I think you're right, of the entire lifespan of this show. Look, it's hard to overstate the importance of the newest revelations from the Epstein files. We've got a Secretary of State leaking confidential market-sensitive government information to a convicted sex offender who apparently used it for financial gain and influence.
And quite often, understandably, when you hear these tales, you focus on the offenders. You know, it's monstrous acts and you wonder why. But I really think we need to put at the heart of this story is the victims, the victims of Epstein and the people around him who took advantage of his money and his influence. Those women are still fighting for justice. And these new documents will hopefully get them closer to that.
It's now a police investigation. There's growing pressure on key figures to give evidence in the US and more and more questions about our prime minister's judgment. Keir Starmer told the cabinet that he was gobsmacked by the appalling revelations. And here's what he said today about what we've heard so far.
Mandelson betrayed our country, our parliament and my party. Mr Speaker, he lied repeatedly to my team when asked about his relationship with Epstein before and during his tenure as ambassador. I regret appointing him. If I knew then what I know now, he would never have been anywhere near Governor.
Now, Lord Mandelson used to be seen as some kind of political genius, so much so his nickname was the Prince of Darkness. He was instrumental in the rise of New Labour in the 90s and stayed close to the heart of the party, mentoring and advising younger politicians as they rose through the ranks to positions of power.
Even when he first appeared in the notorious Epstein files, he was able to explain and excuse his links to a convicted sex offender. Here he is speaking to the BBC's Laura Koonsberg after he was first sacked as US ambassador.
While it's had the most calamitous consequences for me, the crux of this is not me. The crux of this is not the friendship I had 25 years ago with Jeffrey Epstein. The crux of this is that so many hundreds of young women were completely trapped, powerless in a system that did not listen to what they had to say.
Not everyone was convinced, but now following the release of more emails from the files, the picture looks even more damning than they could have assumed. He's previously denied any wrongdoing.
There are a lot of claims and more are emerging all the time as people review the new documents. There are more than three million to get through.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:01–0:20
2
What revelations from the Epstein files impact Lord Mandelson?
0:20–7:36
3
How does the Mandelson scandal affect Keir Starmer's government?
7:36–9:40
4
What insights does economist Ann Pettifor provide about the global financial system?
9:40–19:14
5
How does the release of emails complicate Mandelson's narrative?
19:14–22:37
6
What new investigations are being launched against Mandelson?
22:37–38:57
7
How does Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor fit into the latest Epstein revelations?
38:57–53:24
Speakers
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