The case for keeping Starmer

The case for keeping Starmer

Author: Financial Times March 27, 2026 Duration: 37:38

Sir Keir Starmer’s authority is slipping and Westminster is alive with speculation about potential successors. But chief political commentator Robert Shrimsley joins host Lucy Fisher, alongside deputy opinion editor Miranda Green and public policy editor Chris Smyth, to argue why he believes Labour may be better off sticking with Starmer. The panel also discuss the government’s plans to ban political donations in cryptocurrency and cap overseas donations at £100,000 a year. What does it mean for Reform UK, which has been a major beneficiary of overseas donors and crypto donations? 


Have a question for the panel? We’re planning a question and answer episode. Email your questions to politicalfix@ft.com


Follow Lucy on X: @LOS_Fisher, and Bluesky: @lucyfisher.ft.com; Robert: @robertshrimsley and @robertshrimsley.bsky.social;

Miranda @greenmiranda and @greenmirandahere.bsky.social; & Chris @Smyth_Chris and @chris-smyth.bsky.social


Want more? 


The case for keeping Keir Starmer a little longer


Starmer set to make Sadiq Khan a Lord 


Overseas donations to UK parties to be capped at £100,000 


Companies face having to declare individuals behind UK political donations 


Net zero is not a zero-sum game 


Sign up here for Stephen Bush's morning newsletter Inside Politics for straight-talking insight into the stories that matter, plus puns and tongue (mostly) in cheek. Get 30 days free.


Presented by Lucy Fisher. Produced by Nisha Patel. Manuela Saragosa is the executive producer. Original music and sound engineering by Breen Turner. The broadcast engineer was Bianca Wakeman and Petros Gioumpasis. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s global head of audio.


Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com


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


Every Friday, the team behind Political Fix gathers to make sense of the week's political turbulence. This isn't just a recap of headlines; it's a deep, often lively conversation that pulls back the curtain on how decisions are really made in Westminster and beyond. You'll hear from the Financial Times journalists who are actually there, in the corridors and committee rooms, paired with expert voices who provide crucial context. Together, they untangle complex policy debates, analyse the shifting alliances, and question the strategies defining Britain's future. The result is a clear-eyed, authoritative look at the forces shaping the nation, delivered with the FT's signature rigor and insight. Tuning into this podcast feels like gaining access to a private briefing, one that prioritizes substance over noise. It’s for anyone who wants to move past the soundbites and understand the real stories and personalities driving the political agenda. New episodes arrive weekly, offering a consistent and essential perspective on a landscape that never stops moving.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Political Fix
Podcast Episodes
The Mandelson Starmer saga stumbles on [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:26
The rolling drama over the appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson as US ambassador is eating the government alive, with more committee hearings coming next week and crucial elections for Labour on May 7. This week’s host Mi…
Labour lambasted over defence [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:04
It’s not just the Trump administration attacking the UK’s defence capabilities. Now a Labour grandee and former head of Nato, Lord George Robertson, has accused Sir Keir Starmer of ‘corrosive complacency’ over delays to…
Squeezed Britain: student loans, salaries and strikes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:16
Sir Keir Starmer had promised 2026 would be the year the UK economy and household finances would finally “turn the corner”. But the Iran war has nixed those hopes. Now the pressure from unions to increase public sector p…
Trump taunts drive Starmer into EU’s arms [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:03
Donald Trump has heaped insults on Sir Keir Starmer in recent weeks over his stance on the Iran war. The US president labelled the UK prime minister “no Winston Churchill”, said Britain’s aircraft carriers were mere “toy…
Introducing Untold: Opus Dei [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09
Introducing Opus Dei, a new season of Untold from the Financial Times. Host Antonia Cundy uncovers the cultural and political influence of a controversial Catholic organisation in America. Opus Dei exists to help people…
Angela’s ambitions [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:13
Angela Rayner heaped scorn on Sir Keir Starmer’s administration this week, fuelling fresh scrutiny of her ambitions. Does she want to return to cabinet or seize the reins? The former deputy prime minister issued a stark…
Mandelson mess and Middle East U-turns [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:08
It has been a week of red faces for party leaders. On Thursday, Keir Starmer apologised and took personal responsibility for the appointment of Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador to the US – after a first round of document…
Iran shock for Starmer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:18
A week into the Iran war and Sir Keir Starmer is scrambling to defend the UK’s position on the conflict. Criticised by Donald Trump over blocking the US from using British military bases to launch initial strikes on Iran…
Green grief for Starmer: by-election special [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:57
The Gorton and Denton by-election was supposedly a three-horse race, but on polling day the Green Party stormed to victory by a vast margin. It was a devastating defeat for Labour, which was pushed into third place behin…
Farage against the machine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:59
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage unveiled his ‘shadow cabinet’ at a glitzy event in London this week, with a newly bespectacled Robert Jenrick announced as ‘shadow chancellor’. The event was a hit with Reform’s supporters i…