{"podcast":{"title":"Best of the Spectator","slug":"best-of-the-spectator-45373","podcast_index_feed_id":45373,"rss_url":"https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/68358fb5e1abc4be6b0308eb","website_url":"https://audioboom.com/channels/4905579-best-of-the-spectator","image_url":"https://assets.pippa.io/shows/68358fb5e1abc4be6b0308eb/show-cover.jpg","author":"The Spectator","episode_count":2646,"summary":"Home to the Spectator's best podcasts on everything from politics to religion, literature to food and drink, and more. A new podcast every day from writers worth listening to. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.","last_synced_at":"2026-06-08T18:22:22.936028+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/best-of-the-spectator-45373"},"episode":{"title":"Quite right!: Starmer didn’t even want Mandelson – so why appoint him?","slug":"quite-right-starmer-didn-t-even-want-mandelson-so-why-appoint-him","published_at":"2026-04-21T23:01:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/best-of-the-spectator-45373/quite-right-starmer-didn-t-even-want-mandelson-so-why-appoint-him","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/best-of-the-spectator-45373","url":"https://shows.acast.com/best-of-the-spectator/episodes/quite-right-starmer-didnt-even-want-mandelson-so-why-appoint","audio_url":"https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/68358fb5e1abc4be6b0308eb/e/69e7e91023929c3a2a6f84a0/media.mp3?tk=eyJ0ayI6ImRlZmF1bHQiLCJhZHMiOnRydWUsInNwb25zIjp0cnVlLCJzdGF0dXMiOiJwdWJsaWMifQ==&sig=NzR5R72HgXWPjdBinEhIW6vSpq5MLE_TShxxRHnR0-k","summary":"For more from Michael and Maddie, search 'Quite right!' wherever you are listening to this podcast and hit the follow button to never miss an episode. This week: the Mandelson row deepens – and a bigger question about Keir Starmer’s judgment and authority. After a bruising appearance from Olly Robbins at the Foreign Affairs Committee, Michael and Madeline ask whether the Prime Minister’s defence still holds and assess the weaknesses this whole debacle has exposed in Keir Starmer. For example, why did he want Mandelson to be US Ambassador in the first place, given the numerous red flags and the fact that – as Michael suggests – he doesn’t particularly like Mandelson or his style of operating? They also discuss whether this will end up being a resigning issue – and, if Starmer does go, what comes next? With potential successors circling and the local elections looming, would removing him would solve the problem or make it worse? Produced by Oscar Edmondson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.","meta_description":"For more from Michael and Maddie, search 'Quite right!' wherever you are listening to this podcast and hit the follow button to never miss an episode. Thi…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2418,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/best-of-the-spectator-45373/episodes/quite-right-starmer-didn-t-even-want-mandelson-so-why-appoint-him/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/best-of-the-spectator-45373/quite-right-starmer-didn-t-even-want-mandelson-so-why-appoint-him.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}