# The Edition: ‘Keir Starmer has become Boris Johnson!’

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/best-of-the-spectator-45373/the-edition-keir-starmer-has-become-boris-johnson
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/best-of-the-spectator-45373/the-edition-keir-starmer-has-become-boris-johnson.md
Podcast: [Best of the Spectator](https://stenobird.com/podcast/best-of-the-spectator-45373)
Published: 2026-04-23T23:01:00+00:00
Episode link: https://shows.acast.com/best-of-the-spectator/episodes/the-edition-keir-starmer-has-become-boris-johnson
Audio file: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/68358fb5e1abc4be6b0308eb/e/69ea76c80b4baf3bf2c891a0/media.mp3?tk=eyJ0ayI6ImRlZmF1bHQiLCJhZHMiOnRydWUsInNwb25zIjp0cnVlLCJzdGF0dXMiOiJwdWJsaWMifQ==&sig=8CkaydVh024kyMVixdrVEj9Lov6MF-JPPTt7taL_o7w
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/best-of-the-spectator-45373/episodes/the-edition-keir-starmer-has-become-boris-johnson
Duration seconds: 2401

## Resource

In this week’s podcast, the panel unpacks Tim Shipman’s explosive cover story, including a leaked message suggesting just how closely Starmer backed Mandelson’s appointment from the start – and why the Prime Minister is now struggling to shift responsibility as the fallout grows. Host Lara Prendergast is joined by William Moore, historian Peter Frankopan and Prue Leith to assess whether this is a moment of real political danger for Starmer – or simply another Westminster storm. As comparisons with Boris Johnson mount, they ask whether Labour’s internal critics will act, what alternatives (if any) exist, and why the deeper problem may be a striking lack of talent across British politics. Also on the episode: could Reform capitalise on voter frustration – and are Britain’s insurgent parties ready for power? What should we expect from Donald Trump’s looming state visit – and why the monarchy may matter more than Downing Street in managing him? Plus, is the American Dream fading, or simply evolving under economic strain? And finally: from overlooked women at Nuremberg to the cultural stigma around ageing, the panel explores how history is written – and who gets written out of it. Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Oscar Edmondson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

## Actions

- request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/best-of-the-spectator-45373/episodes/the-edition-keir-starmer-has-become-boris-johnson/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.
- read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/best-of-the-spectator-45373/the-edition-keir-starmer-has-become-boris-johnson.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.

A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed.

## Transcript

Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.