Newscast

Laura and Paddy are back! Today, they’re discussing the key questions facing Sir Keir Starmer over the latest revelations about Lord Mandelson

Sir Olly Robbins, the former chief Foreign Office official, was ousted by Starmer on Thursday after it was revealed that Mandelson had failed the foreign office vetting programme. The key questions are still to be answered formally over who knew what, and when.

The PM is set to appear in the Commons on Monday, and Olly Robbins is expected to be grilled by MPs on Tuesday. But how exactly did we get here? What are the key questions Starmer and Robbins need to answer? And could this be the final nail in the coffin for Keir Starmer’s premiership?

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Today, Keir Starmer says it's "staggering" he was not told Lord Mandelson had failed security vetting for his appointment as US ambassador.

Speaking from a summit in France, the prime minister says he's "absolutely furious" and will update MPs in Parliament on Monday. Opposition leaders are calling on Starmer to resign, accusing him of "catastrophically poor judgement" and of being "incompetent, gullible or a liar. Adam and Chris go through the details and discuss how damaging this could be.

And, we take a deep dive into the Scottish Parliament elections, with cost of living, immigration and energy top of the agenda.Adam is joined by Alex Forsyth, James Cook and pollster and director of More in Common, Luke Tryl to look at what the parties are promising as they go head to head in their first debates.

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New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd

Today, the Prime Minister has denied knowing that Lord Mandelson failed security vetting for the role of US ambassador until earlier this week.

Sir Keir Starmer has faced calls to resign over allegations he misled Parliament and MPs when he claimed "full due process" was followed during the appointment.

It came after the Guardian newspaper reported, external that Lord Mandelson was initially denied security clearance in late January 2025 but this was overruled by the Foreign Office to ensure the peer could take up the post.

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New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd

Today, an undercover BBC investigation has found evidence of law firms and legal advisors helping migrants pretend to be gay to get asylum.

Migrants were advised to take staged photos at nightclubs, attend LGBT events and to go to GPs pretending to be depressed to obtain medical evidence to support their cases. Adam and Chris are joined by BBC politics investigation correspondent Billy Kenber, who uncovered the story.

In response to our findings, the Home Office said: "Anyone found trying to exploit the system will face the full force of the law, including removal from the UK."

Plus, Adam also checks in with Faisal, who’s in the US at the IMF’s annual conference. He fills us in on the indirect war of words between Rachel Reeves and her US counterpart, Scott Bessent.

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New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd

Today, a former Nato chief has said that the UK's security and safety is "in peril" and Sir Keir Starmer's government has shown "corrosive complacency" towards defence.

In a directly political intervention, Lord Robertson - who is now a key government adviser - says "We cannot defend Britain with an ever-expanding welfare budget."

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New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd

Today, an inquiry has found the Southport murders “could have been prevented” if the killer’s parents and authorities had done more in the years leading up to the attack.

The inquiry’s report lists factors such as a "misunderstanding of autism" and “failure in information sharing” as examples of the “systematic failures”. Adam is joined by Judith Moritz, special correspondent and Daniel Sandford home Affairs correspondent who have been covering the story.

Adam also catches up with Americast host and North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher after President Trump announcing a blockade of Iranian ports after the talks in Pakistan didn’t end up in a deal. This comes as President Trump has been publicly arguing with an unusual opponent… the Pope.

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New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd

Today, we look at what the failure to reach an agreement between the US and Iran means for the war in the Middle East and the world.

We also look at what stopped an agreement between the two sides, after differing accounts emerge.

Victoria Derbyshire and Nick Watt are joined by political correspondent Joe Pike, who has the latest on the UK-US row over the Chagos Islands.

And could an election in Hungary reshape political power in Europe?

You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers.

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Get in touch with Newscast by emailing [email protected] or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.

New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd

Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The hosts were Victoria Derbyshire and Nick Watt. It was made by Chris Flynn with Kris Jalowiecki. The social producer was Grace Braddock. The technical producer was Michael Regaard. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

There are two massive stories to chat through today - the start of direct trilateral talks between the US and Iran in Pakistan, and the return of Nasa's Artemis II crew.

Paddy and Laura are on holiday so Newsnight’s Victoria Derbyshire and Nick Watt host.

To chat through news from Pakistan, they’re joined by Panorama filmmaker and foreign affairs and peace talks specialist Jane Corbin.

And to explain what it’s like to return to earth from space, British astronaut Tim Peake.

You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers.

You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscord

Get in touch with Newscast by emailing [email protected] or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.

New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd

Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The hosts were Victoria Derbyshire and Nick Watt. It was made by Chris Flynn with Chloe Scannapieco. The social producer was Grace Braddock. The technical producer was Michael Regaard. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

Today, Adam is joined by Felicity Evans from Walescast, Alex Forsyth, political correspondent and Luke Tryl pollster and director of More in Common to take a deep dive into the elections for the Welsh Senedd.

They look at the big issues on the agenda, and why polling numbers don’t always reflect how people vote on election day.

You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers.

You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscord

Get in touch with Newscast by emailing [email protected] or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.

New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd

Today, the defence secretary has revealed the British military has responded to a month-long Russian submarine operation over cables and pipelines north of UK.

John Healey says he deployed a warship and aircraft in response, and the Russian vessels were "monitored 24/7". He says there is "no evidence" of any damage to UK infrastructure in the Atlantic.

Why are the cables so important? What was Russia trying to achieve? Are the UK able to stop them from doing this again in future? Adam is joined by the Defence Secretary John Healey.

You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers.

Get in touch with Newscast by emailing [email protected] or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.

New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd