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
Does Trump know what the F#@! he’s doing? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:35
After a rollercoaster week of news - the threat of World War 3 suddenly felt a little overstated. But a few short hours after a ceasefire between Israel and Iran - both countries returned to a war of words and missiles -…
U-turn after U-turn: who is the real Keir Starmer? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:04
Keir Starmer is not afraid of a U-turn. From abandoned policy pledges to reinstating the winter-fuel allowance, the list is growing. To add to this - this week, the PM has expressed his support for Israel’s military acti…
Is Labour finally being Labour? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:08
Rachel Reeves has delivered her very first spending review, promising to ‘renew Britain’ with big cash boosts for the NHS, housing and defence. It’s a marked change of tone but the Tories are calling her approach “spend…
How to protect abortion rights from the far-right [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:14
England and Wales is still - unbelievably - operating under an 1861 law that criminalises abortion access. An unprecedented rise in prosecutions and the rise of an aggressive US-style anti-abortion movement in the UK hav…
Babies, Benefits and Black Lives Matter [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:47
Stay out of wombs Nigel! Reform UK leader Nigel Farage wants us to have more babies - which for new mum Coco feels like being bamboozled into being rightwing. Not only this, Farage is even coming for abortion - saying it…
Gaza and Benefits: is Starmer changing course? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:05
Reunited, Coco and Nish are finally back together in the studio to talk U turns, disability benefits, Brexit and… gimp masks? There’s a lot of politics to catch up on including some big shifts from the Labour government.…
Pod Save an Island of Strangers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:59
Coco’s back! She’s both sleep and politics deprived, but Nish is ready to fill her in. The government's shake-up of legal migration laws landed this week - but the news has been dominated by one question. Is Keir Starmer…
The UK Supreme Court ruling and the fight for trans rights [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:41
In the wake of the UK Supreme Court ruling that the legal definition of woman should be based on biological sex, Nish and Zoë speak to LGBTQ+ activist Ellen Jones, author of "Outrage: Why the fight for LGBTQ+ equality is…
Nish and Coco spill the tea: your questions answered [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:44
As Parliament sits for Easter Recess, Nish and Coco dive into the PSUK mailbag to answer your burning questions. There’s the serious political questions - who are the real progressive party? How can we fight Reform? Shou…