# Cat amongst the pigeons: Mandarins at war

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/politics-at-sam-and-anne-s-6630360/cat-amongst-the-pigeons-mandarins-at-war
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/politics-at-sam-and-anne-s-6630360/cat-amongst-the-pigeons-mandarins-at-war.md
Podcast: [Politics At Sam and Anne's](https://stenobird.com/podcast/politics-at-sam-and-anne-s-6630360)
Published: 2026-04-23T06:44:00+00:00
Episode link: https://politics-at-sam-and-anne.captivate.fm
Audio file: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/dd9686f0-ade5-4cc1-8867-99b6aafdd4ee.mp3?aw_0_1st.showid=e0c28668-b961-43cf-8d6c-6ba62ef8a7a3&aw_0_1st.episodeid=dd9686f0-ade5-4cc1-8867-99b6aafdd4ee
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/politics-at-sam-and-anne-s-6630360/episodes/cat-amongst-the-pigeons-mandarins-at-war
Duration seconds: 1264

## Resource

Will the Prime Minister ever escape the ghost of Peter Mandelson and his decision to appoint the ‘Prince of Darkness’ as the UK’s ambassador to Washington? With fresh committee hearings looming – including an appearance from Cabinet Office permanent secretary Cat Little – and senior ministers appearing uncomfortable defending No10 on the airwaves, Sam and Anne ask if the row is anywhere near its peak. The duo also examine the growing tension between Downing Street and the civil service and whether pulling top mandarins into political warfare risks lasting damage to the system. Over on Planet Tory, Anne has an update on the rumoured reshuffle of Kemi Badenoch’s shadow cabinet. Plus, why isn’t the government more worried about a shortage of jet fuel due to the Iran war?

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## Transcript

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