{"podcast":{"title":"Electoral Dysfunction","slug":"electoral-dysfunction-5200603","podcast_index_feed_id":5200603,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/electoral-dysfunction/","website_url":"https://electoral-dysfunction.captivate.fm","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/5c72556c-dfd6-48b7-9804-403319a510fe/ED-HARRIET.jpg","author":"Sky News","episode_count":199,"summary":"Political powerhouses Beth Rigby, Ruth Davidson and Harriet Harman unite to unravel the spin and explain what’s really going on in Westminster and beyond. Each episode examines who holds influence, what politicians are really saying, and the forces driving decisions behind closed doors. With authoritative insight and candid conversation, they assess who is rising, who is falling, and who is heading for Electoral Dysfunction. For audience questions and comments, message the team on WhatsApp: 07934 200444","last_synced_at":"2026-06-17T06:18:16.981253+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/electoral-dysfunction-5200603"},"episode":{"title":"Why the Mandelson files matter for Starmer's future","slug":"why-the-mandelson-files-matter-for-starmer-s-future","published_at":"2026-03-13T04:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/electoral-dysfunction-5200603/why-the-mandelson-files-matter-for-starmer-s-future","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/electoral-dysfunction-5200603","url":"https://electoral-dysfunction.captivate.fm","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/7493f2f7-41a5-496a-bd6a-65b250793cfc.mp3?aw_0_1st.showid=7131ad54-f81b-4ab8-b44c-e56c8cb808cd&aw_0_1st.episodeid=7493f2f7-41a5-496a-bd6a-65b250793cfc","summary":"Keir Starmer has already admitted appointing Peter Mandelson as US Ambassador was a mistake. But after the first batch of documents was released, Beth, Ruth and Harriet ask the big question: we still don’t know how big that ‘mistake’ it was – could it get worse with what is yet to come out about what the Prime Minister knew about Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein? In this episode we break down: What’s in the first tranche of documents around Peter Mandelson’s appointmnet (and what’s still missing) The red flags raised before Mandelson was appointed and why the process looks so rushed What “developed vetting” actually is, and why it could become the key detail The growing political risk for Starmer, including questions around what was said in the Commons Peter Mandelson has consistently denied any criminal wrongdoing and he is cooperating with the police investigation. Plus, a powerful moment in Parliament this week as Labour MPs Charlotte Nichols and Natalie Fleet speak about their own experiences as victims. How do their stories feed into the government’s legal reforms? And what would the plans mean for justice, juries and the courts backlog? Got a question for the burner phone? WhatsApp 07934 200 444 or email electoraldysfunction@sky.uk .","meta_description":"Keir Starmer has already admitted appointing Peter Mandelson as US Ambassador was a mistake. But after the first batch of documents was released, Beth, Ru…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3014,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/electoral-dysfunction-5200603/episodes/why-the-mandelson-files-matter-for-starmer-s-future/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/electoral-dysfunction-5200603/why-the-mandelson-files-matter-for-starmer-s-future.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}