McSweeney: the man who made Starmer and his ties to Mandelson

McSweeney: the man who made Starmer and his ties to Mandelson

Author: Pod Save the UK February 12, 2026 Duration: 55:16

Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s cabinet circles the wagons as he survives another hellish week in office. One that saw the loss of his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, and his director of communications, Tim Allan, as the scandal over Peter Mandelson's ties to sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein rages on. 

Nish and Coco are joined by Paul Holden, the “unofficial biographer” of Morgan McSweeney, to discuss his key role in the rise of Keir Starmer to power and his close relationship with Mandelson. Plus - reports that Labour Together hired a PR firm to investigate Paul and others looking into its funding under McSweeney.

Also, comedian Stuart Goldsmith on the serious business of being funny about climate change and why it goes all the way to the top of British intelligence.

CHECK OUT THESE DEALS FROM OUR SPONSORS 

AURA FRAMES
https://www.auraframes.com Code: PSTUK

WISE
https://www.wise.com

GUESTS 

Paul Holden, Investigative Journalist and author of The Fraud
Stuart Goldsmith, Climate Comedian

USEFUL LINKS

The Fraud: Keir Starmer, Morgan McSweeney, and the Crisis of British Democracy
https://orbooks.com/catalog/the-fraud/

Stuart Goldsmith
www.stuartgoldsmith.com

CREDITS

Sky News / YouTube
Sky News / YouTube
GOP Oversight / YouTube
Sky News Australia / YouTube

Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media.
Get in touch - contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.uk
Like and follow us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PodSavetheUK
Instagram: https://instagram.com/podsavetheuk
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheuk
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/podsavetheuk.crooked.com
Facebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheuk
X: https://x.com/podsavetheuk


The political landscape in Britain is often dissected from within the Westminster bubble, but Pod Save the UK offers a different kind of conversation. This podcast cuts through the noise of the daily headlines with a blend of sharp analysis and relatable frustration, asking the bigger questions about power, policy, and what it all means for people across the country. The hosts, seasoned in activism and political commentary, break down the week’s events without relying on insider jargon or dry parliamentary procedure. You’ll hear discussions that connect government decisions to everyday life, exploring the real-world impact of legislation and the forces shaping national debates. It’s a space for understanding the mechanics of British politics while challenging the status quo, always with an eye on how to build a more equitable future. For anyone feeling adrift in the constant churn of news cycles, this series provides clarity and a sense of shared perspective, making complex issues accessible and engaging. Tune in for a candid, often witty, and consistently insightful take on the state of the nation, where the focus is on substance over spin and holding power to account.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Pod Save the UK
Podcast Episodes
Liberated from Labour: Zarah Sultana and Bimini Bon-Boulash - Live! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:55
Chaos, what chaos? Rayner's out. The cabinet's reshuffled. The lurch to the right hasn't stopped. But in the words of Homer Simpson, could Keir Starmer's shit show be a "crisitunity" for the left? To tell us how we can s…
Stop The Genocide!  w/ Wael Al-Dahdouh, Jen Brister and Alexei Sayle [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:30
Pod Save the UK teamed up with Amnesty International UK for a powerful live recording to raise awareness and support to end the genocide in Gaza. Nish and Coco are joined by Palestinian journalist Wael Al-Dahdouh, Gaza B…
Friends of PSUK - Sara & Cariad’s Weirdos Book Club [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:10
PSUK is taking a week off - so we’re bringing you a podcast from some of our friends - Sara and Cariad’s Weirdos Book Club! In this first episode - PSUK’s very own Nish Kumar turns up to discuss the internet, vegetables,…
Does the UK have a gambling problem? Out and about w/ Dawn Butler [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:22
High streets across the UK are being overwhelmed by betting shops. They gobble up £4.6 billion from punters every year - and local councils have almost no powers to block them. Labour MP Dawn Butler’s constituency, Brent…
Is the government inflaming protests on the left and right? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:29
Three thousand riot police were put on standby after Friday was dubbed “anti-asylum day” by far-right organisers, with 14 protests scheduled nationwide outside of suspected asylum hotels. Tensions are high but with Keir…
Is criticism of the Online Safety Act actually right wing? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:07
This week - we’re talking about the internet, Coco’s proclivities toward the disembodied voice of Pedro Pascal and Nish’s struggles to find any time to work on himself. Strap in - it’s a juicy one. Nish and Coco are join…
Is the new left party what the UK needs? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:35
PSUK is back - and this week Keir Starmer has swung open the door to recognising Palestinian Statehood - with caveats. Nish and Coco discuss the massive change in the UK’s foreign policy stance. Later, they’re joined by…
[Moral] Panic on the streets of Glastonbury [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:08
Nish’s inappropriate occurrences report at Glastonbury is in: there were people kissing, some people had their butts out and nobody seemed to be slapping on the SPF - all very inappropriate. But this isn’t what the right…