Mandelson arrested: Will Starmer pay the price?

Mandelson arrested: Will Starmer pay the price?

Author: Global February 24, 2026 Duration: 48:45

Late yesterday afternoon Peter Mandelson was led from his London house by two plain clothes police officers with very visible body cameras into an unmarked police car. In the bland euphemism that followed a Met statement told us a 72 year old man had been arrested in Camden.

Today we discuss what this move does to Starmer, his party, and the wider reputation of New Labour. And we have insight into Mandelson’s own state of mind at 4 am this morning. He has denied all criminal wrong doing.

Later, we speak to education secretary Bridget Philipson about the last 24 hours, the last 12 months and her own reforms to special educational needs.

The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK Beyond Business Ownership - https://grp.hsbc/BeyondBusinessOwnership


Every weekday afternoon, Emily Maitlis, Jon Sopel, and Lewis Goodall gather to make sense of the noise. Their The News Agents isn't a simple bulletin; it's a conversation between three of the UK's most experienced journalists who have seen the machinery of government and media from the inside. This daily podcast from Global focuses on the forces shaping our world, dissecting the headlines from Westminster and beyond with a sharp eye for what really matters. You'll hear them pull apart political strategies, question the official narrative, and trace the connections between today's breaking story and its deeper roots. What sets this show apart is their collective tone-a blend of genuine expertise, natural scepticism, and the occasional necessary laugh at the absurdities of the news cycle. They provide context where others just provide clips, aiming to answer the persistent "why" behind the "what." Tuning into this podcast feels like getting a direct, unfiltered briefing from colleagues who know the landscape intimately, making the complex flow of daily events not just comprehensible but genuinely engaging. It’s analysis designed for anyone who wants to move past the soundbites.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The News Agents
Podcast Episodes
A year of Trump: terror, territory and tariffs [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:29
We bring you a special report today of the 'dark flights' that are deporting hundreds of people - the vast majority of them here legally - in shackles from Minnesota to Texas detention centres.There is no official record…
Special Episode: Trump, ICE and cruelty on the streets of Minneapolis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:46
Emily and Lewis report from Minneapolis which has become the dark heart of President Trump's ICE agent immigration crackdown. We patrol the streets with ICE watchers - witnessing a raid alongside the patrollers literally…
The man the BBC censored for calling Trump corrupt [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:16
Just a few months ago, historian and author Rutger Bregman found himself at the centre of a very British controversy. He had been asked to deliver a BBC Reith lecture. His theme was the decadence of the political elite a…
Kemi puts the knife in first: Has sacking Jenrick made her stronger? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:31
The politician who once complained of not seeing enough "white faces" in Birmingham probably had a very white one himself this morning.Robert Jenrick's apparent imminent plot to defect to Reform was left in tatters when…
Is ICE acting like America's 'Gestapo'? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:04
The images coming out of Minneapolis since the killing of Renee Good are nothing short of dystopian. Day after day, Minnesotans dragged from their vehicles, off the streets, and out of their houses. Often, seemingly, for…
Should Donald Trump 'Make Iran Great Again'? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:33
"Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING - TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! ... HELP IS ON ITS WAY. MIGA!!!"It was a characteristically Trumpian post from the American president on Truth Social (where else?) today which led to m…
Will Starmer have the guts to punish Musk for his undressing app? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:09
Is the government about to stand up to Elon Musk? That now seems possible. Downing Street said today that they would support action from Ofcom - the media regulator - against his platforms if they deemed it necessary.Ofc…
Mehdi Hasan on America's 'Neo-Fascism' [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:48
We are barely a week into 2026, and already Donald Trump has toppled the president of Venezuela, threatened a NATO ally, labelled a protestor killed by ICE as a "professional agitator", and insisted his own morality is t…