{"podcast":{"title":"In The Room","slug":"in-the-room-7693582","podcast_index_feed_id":7693582,"rss_url":"https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/69861398d4e01f1069d58875","website_url":"https://shows.acast.com/intheroom","image_url":"https://assets.pippa.io/shows/cover/1770393584398-595c81ff-ae25-4c77-8905-6731a37e97f1.jpeg","author":"The Independent","episode_count":20,"summary":"Two former Westminster insiders reveal how politics and power really work. Ever wondered what goes on behind closed doors at No 10? Or who’s the first person on the phone when a Prime Minister lands themselves in hot water? Each week former Deputy Cabinet Secretary Helen MacNamara and Cleo Watson, former political advisor to Theresa May and Boris Johnson, dissect the week’s biggest news, revealing how decisions get made, why they go wrong, and what should happen next. In The Room is straight-talking, insider analysis with a dose of humour, every week. This podcast is part of The Independent Podcast Network and is produced in association with Next Chapter Studios. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.","last_synced_at":null,"page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/in-the-room-7693582"},"episode":{"title":"Does Olly Robbins' testimony signal the end for Starmer?","slug":"does-olly-robbins-testimony-signal-the-end-for-starmer","published_at":"2026-04-21T19:29:57+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/in-the-room-7693582/does-olly-robbins-testimony-signal-the-end-for-starmer","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/in-the-room-7693582","url":"https://shows.acast.com/intheroom/episodes/10-does-olly-robbins-testimony-signal-the-end-for-starmer","audio_url":"https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/69861398d4e01f1069d58875/e/69e7d03517df632b85fa2705/media.mp3","summary":"Westminster watchers have had their popcorn out over the past 24 hours. On Monday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was grilled by MPs for two hours. A day later, Sir Olly Robbins, the sacked Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign Office, gave a meticulous account to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee. The result: fresh doubts over Starmer’s handling of Peter Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador. This week on  In The Room , former Deputy Cabinet Secretary Helen MacNamara and ex-No.10 special adviser Cleo Watson share their reaction. They discuss how Robbins landed a series of hammer blows on Starmer in his testimony - and why new questions over the appointment of Matthew Doyle could prove to be his undoing. Find the best clips from the podcast and more from Helen and Cleo on the show's Instagram page here . This podcast is part of The Independent Podcast Network and is produced in association with Next Chapter Studios Executive Producers: Olivia Foster and Carrie Rose Producer: Sam Durham Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.","meta_description":"Westminster watchers have had their popcorn out over the past 24 hours. On Monday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was grilled by MPs for two hours. A day…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2064,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/in-the-room-7693582/episodes/does-olly-robbins-testimony-signal-the-end-for-starmer/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/in-the-room-7693582/does-olly-robbins-testimony-signal-the-end-for-starmer.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}