A Flying Start | The Mandelson files Ep1

About this episode

<p>When Peter Mandelson was sacked as the UK’s ambassador to the United States over his links with Jeffrey Epstein people wondered how he ever got appointed in the first place.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><br><p>Eventually Keir Starmer’s government was forced to publish more than a thousand pages of emails, messages and letters which reveal how Peter Mandelson was appointed, vetted and cleared to become the UK’s most influential diplomat.&nbsp;</p><br><p>What emerges from those documents, is a story about who wields power in Britain today, how it works and how we conduct our politics.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><br><p>The Observer’s Ada Barumé tells the story of a political farce that begins with the appointment of Peter Mandelson and ends with the resignation of Keir Starmer.&nbsp;</p><br><p>The Mandelson Files is a 4 part original series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer.</p><br><p>To binge listen to all episodes today, ad-free, <a href="https://observer.co.uk/subscribe/audio" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe to The Observer</a> and use the code AUDIO50 to get 50% off your annual subscription.</p><br><p>You'll get access to:</p><p><br></p><ul><li>This series and all our podcasts before anyone else</li><li>Ad-free listening</li><li>Premium newsletters</li><li>Puzzles from the inventors of the cryptic crossword</li><li>Exclusive offers from our partners including Mubi and iescape</li><li>Tickets to join Observer events in our newsroom or online</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Or subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to listen to all our podcasts, including this one, without any ads.</p><br><p>Reporter - Ada Barumé</p><p>Producer - Amalie Sortland</p><p>Sound design - Dominic Delargy</p><p>Podcast artwork - Lucy Stevenson</p><p>Executive producer - Jasper Corbett</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>