Will Starmer's body count prove fatal for his premiership?
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
This is a Global Player original podcast.
There is a mutual loathing between Starmer and Mandelson. It is absolutely also true that McSweeney and Mandelson had a very, very close relationship.
He was basically finding a job for his mate. Starmer wanted to keep Mandelson at arm's length. They'd all seen the diligence that came back in December saying, warning, warning, this guy is a risk, with their red flags waved.
When you strip all of this away, this story is about something really constitutionally important, which is whether the Prime Minister tells the House of Commons the truth.
The nature of the relationship that I understood he had with Epstein was not a close friendship. How I understood it at the time was a passing acquaintance. that he regretted having and that he apologised for. What has emerged since then was way, way, way worse than I had expected at the time. And it was when I saw the pictures, when I saw the Bloomberg questions in September 2025, I have to say it was like a knife through my soul.
That is Morgan McSweeney, the former chief of staff to Keir Starmer and the man who until now has lived in the shadows, explaining why he got it so very badly wrong to support Peter Mandelson as Britain's ambassador to Washington.
He's been called before a parliamentary committee to explain whether it was him that pushed that appointment through to get Peter Mandelson the job that he longed for. Welcome to the News Agents.
How did Morgan McSweeney explain his role in Mandelson's appointment?
The News Agents.
It's John. It's Maitlis.
It's Lewis.
And today we heard from Morgan McSweeney, who was the Chief of Staff to Keir Starmer until he was fired, stroked, resigned over the Mandelson affair last year. And you'll remember this time a week ago, we were listening to Ollie Robbins, the most senior Foreign Office civil servant who had been summarily fired from his job. on the Thursday night that Keir Starmer discovered that Maddison hadn't in fact passed the vetting process in the way that he had understood. Ollie Robbins essentially took the floor and pretty much threw Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, under the bus in a way only a senior civil servant can. And today we were listening to Emily Thornberry and her parliamentary committee interrogate Morgan McSweeney
and ask him questions as to whether essentially it had been his friendship, his loyalty to Peter Mandelson that had made him push through an old mate for a job to which he really should never have been appointed.
I think one of the most remarkable things about today, I mean, the story continues to sort of cascade and have lots of different elements that are worth interrogating. But one of the really notable things is that we're hearing from Morgan McSweeney at all. I mean, this is a man who has, in one form or another... orbited around or been in latter years absolutely central to Labour politics. I mean, again, just to remind people in so many ways, Morgan McSweeney and Keir Starmer, they have been inseparable in so many ways.
What were the red flags raised during the vetting process?
It was not Keir Starmer who chose Morgan McSweeney. To be his chief of staff, which would be a more normal arrangement in so many ways. It was Morgan McSweeney is the head of Labour together who chose Keir Starmer to be their man to defeat Corbynism within the party. He is an absolutely central figure within Labour politics. But until today, he has barely ever been seen or on camera or given an interview or anything like that. Most people wouldn't know his voice. Exactly. I mean, there have been people, I know people from our old world of TV news who, in all the years, they've been trying to find, when he left Downing Street, just a clip, something, anything, just to try and bring the guy to life a bit.
There's one shot of him at the back of a hall. When Keir Starmer's making a speech, which is shown every single time.
I think there was an interview of him in 2006, embarking, you know, helping Margaret Hodge there when he was helping her defeat the BNP. This is how shadowy and elusive and even ghostly this guy is. But he has been central.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:02–1:36
2
How did Morgan McSweeney explain his role in Mandelson's appointment?
1:36–3:26
3
What were the red flags raised during the vetting process?
3:26–4:34
4
How does Starmer's relationship with Mandelson impact his leadership?
4:34–5:39
5
What are the implications of the sacked staff on Starmer's premiership?
5:39–6:54
6
How does McSweeney's testimony reflect on Starmer's decision-making?
6:54–8:02
7
What are the potential consequences for Starmer if he misled Parliament?
8:02–8:56
8
What is the future outlook for Starmer's leadership amidst controversies?
8:56–47:49
Speakers
8 identifiedMore from The News Agents
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