# The Mandelson files: How bad can it be?

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/politics-at-sam-and-anne-s-6630360/the-mandelson-files-how-bad-can-it-be
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/politics-at-sam-and-anne-s-6630360/the-mandelson-files-how-bad-can-it-be.md
Podcast: [Politics At Sam and Anne's](https://stenobird.com/podcast/politics-at-sam-and-anne-s-6630360)
Published: 2026-06-01T06:45:00+00:00
Episode link: https://politics-at-sam-and-anne.captivate.fm
Audio file: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/b8e4d74a-91d4-43c6-a239-92738367ac44.mp3?aw_0_1st.showid=e0c28668-b961-43cf-8d6c-6ba62ef8a7a3&aw_0_1st.episodeid=b8e4d74a-91d4-43c6-a239-92738367ac44
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/politics-at-sam-and-anne-s-6630360/episodes/the-mandelson-files-how-bad-can-it-be
Duration seconds: 1290

## Resource

The ghost of Peter Mandelson returns as more than 1,000 documents, emails and WhatsApp messages due to be released – but how damaging will it be for the government? With ministers, officials and advisors braced for impact, Sam and Anne assess what could be in the files, whether the most sensitive material has been withheld and what the disclosures reveal about government communications in the age of disappearing messages. Plus, with the Makerfield by-election fast approaching, the duo examines mounting speculation over Labour’s future leadership. As names continue to circulate around Westminster, is the party already preparing for a post-Starmer era and will it be a slow or fast transition?

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## Transcript

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