Pressure mounts on Starmer even as top aide resigns

Pressure mounts on Starmer even as top aide resigns

Author: Financial Times February 9, 2026 Duration: 12:32

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff resigned amid controversy over the Mandelson scandal, and Japan’s conservative governing party have won a landslide victory in snap elections. Plus, top academics have dismissed Federal Reserve chair Kevin Warsh’s claim that an AI-induced productivity boom will create room for interest rate cuts. And, Syria has struck a deal that would give them control over major oil and gas fields offering a potential boost to its fragile economy. 


Mentioned in this podcast:

Starmer battles to stay in Number 10 after dramatic exit of McSweeney

Sanae Takaichi’s LDP wins supermajority in Japan election

Economists reject Kevin Warsh’s claim that AI boom will enable rate cuts

Syria courts energy majors as it takes control of oilfields


Note: The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts 


Today’s FT News Briefing was hosted by Victoria Craig, and produced by Julia Webster. Our show was mixed by Alex Higgins. Additional help from Peter Barber. Our executive producer is Topher Forhecz. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s Global Head of Audio. The show’s theme music is by Metaphor Music. 


Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com


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


Start your morning with the essential context for the day ahead. FT News Briefing, directly from the Financial Times newsroom, cuts through the noise to deliver a concise, authoritative overview of the global business and political developments that truly matter. Each episode is a focused, ten-minute digest designed for the time-pressed, offering clarity on complex market movements, geopolitical shifts, and economic policy decisions. You’ll hear the FT’s expert analysis woven into the reporting, providing not just the headlines but the underlying forces at play. This daily podcast serves as an efficient primer, whether you’re commuting or preparing for your first meeting, ensuring you’re informed on the stories that will define conversations in boardrooms and beyond. Released every weekday morning, it’s a reliable filter for the overwhelming flow of information, built on the FT’s legacy of rigorous journalism. Tune in to transform the way you catch up on world events, turning a few minutes into a strategic advantage for your day.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

FT News Briefing
Podcast Episodes
The rocky legal future of Trump’s tariffs [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:02
Swiss lawmakers have assured senior UBS executives that they will water down stringent new rules and the Trump administration took its first step in opening the more than $10tn US retirement marketplace to private market…
How Trump's tariffs ripped up the global trade order [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:52
US President Donald Trump has said he wants to ‘take the oil in Iran’ and could seize the export hub of Kharg Island. Uncertainty about what happens next in the war is sending nervousness through global markets. Plus, th…
Untold: Opus Dei, Ep. 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:34
Untold host Antonia Cundy uncovers the cultural and political influence of a controversial Catholic organisation in America. Opus Dei exists to help people get closer to God, but some members say they found other agendas…
Hong Kong woos asset managers with potential tax cuts [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:09
The United Arab Emirates has told allies that it would participate in a multinational maritime task force intended to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and Hong Kong is weighing tax cuts for asset managers. Plus, London has e…
Investors try to stay ahead of Trump’s Iran moves [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:58
Iran’s top military leadership dismissed Donald Trump’s claims that the Islamic republic was ready to make a deal, the US president appears to make abrupt policy pivots based on swings in oil prices, and the EU’s trade c…
Gold hasn’t been acting like itself lately [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:57
Meta and OpenAI will be among the first customers of Arm’s long-awaited new AI processor, the haven asset gold hasn’t been looking like its usual self, and Volkswagen is in talks to switch production at one its factories…
Netanyahu’s rivals try to outdo him over Iran [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:08
Sources tell the FT that Pakistan is positioning itself as the lead mediator trying to broker an end to the US’s and Israel’s war against Iran, and the US ambassador to the EU says the bloc must implement its trade deal…
Strait of Hormuz crisis poses fresh threat to global food, energy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:11
The World Food Project warns millions more could be pushed into acute hunger if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. Plus, energy executives meet in Houston as war in Iran rages, and China pitches itself as a “harbour of…
The ‘Armageddon scenario’ for gas markets [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:34
Investors sounded the alarm on Thursday after a major Qatar gas facility took serious damage, and amateur traders are going wild for five-minute bets. Mentioned in this podcast:‘Armageddon scenario’ for gas markets as Qa…
Federal Reserve holds steady as inflation fears mount [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:58
The US has relaxed sanctions on Venezuela’s state-owned oil group Petróleos de Venezuela and the Federal Reserve has stuck with plans to cut rates later this year. Plus, Walmart won patents to give algorithms more sway o…