After a whirlwind week in Westminster, we've decided to bring you an extra dose of Whitehall gossip. Check out this week's episode from our sister podcast: The State of It.

The prime minister thought it was all over for him this weekend, but a scrambled rearguard action has left him looking stronger than he has for some time. But to survive, Keir Starmer may now have no choice but to move leftwards. And there's much worse to come when the Mandelson files are released. Meanwhile, has Wes Streeting missed his moment to challenge the prime minister?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Hosts: 

• Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times
• Patrick Maguire, chief political commentator, The Times
• Gabriel Pogrund, Whitehall editor, The Sunday Times

Producer: Euan Dawtrey.

Executive Producer: Molly Guiness.

We want to hear from you - email: [email protected]

Further listening: The State of It

Clips: Sky News.

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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It’s been a week of chaos in Westminster, as Prime Minister Keir Starmer fights for survival. The crisis he faces reached fever pitch on Sunday with the resignation of his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, followed swiftly the next morning by the departure of Tim Allan, his director of communications. On Monday afternoon, the pressure escalated further when Anas Sarwar, Labour leader in Scotland, became the most senior figure yet to publicly call for Starmer’s resignation. So can his government survive the next week ahead?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Aubrey Allegretti, chief political correspondent, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Harry Stott, Sophie McNulty.

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Read more: With Morgan McSweeney forced out, PM may not be far behind

Further listening: Mandelson, Epstein and the fight for survival at No 10

Clips: Times Radio, BBC, The Telegraph, Sky News, ITV News, GB News

Photo: Getty Images, The Times, Dinesh Mehta

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Prince William is making his first visit to Saudi Arabia this week to celebrate “growing trade, energy and investment ties” between the kingdom and the UK. But with a number of sensitive issues on the table – from defence and intelligence sharing to Saudi Arabia’s poor human rights record – how will the prince walk the diplomatic tightrope? Should the UK be pursuing a closer relationship with the kingdom at all? 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guests: 

• Roya Nikkhah, royal editor, The Sunday Times. 
• Sir William Patey, former UK Ambassador to Saudi Arabia.

Host: Luke Jones. 

Producers: Julia Webster, Micaela Arneson.  

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Read more: Prince William to visit Saudi Arabia as diplomatic ‘secret weapon’

Further listening: Travelling with the Duchess in a war zone

Clips:  NBC, BBC, HM Treasury.

Photo: Dana Chan, Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The British royal family isn't the only European monarchy in turmoil. In Norway the Epstein files have revealed intimate conversations between the Crown Princess and future Queen, Mette-Marit, and the paedophile after he was convicted. Meanwhile, her son is on trial facing charges on thirty-eight offences, including four counts of rape. If convicted, he faces up to ten years in prison. Could this be a fatal blow for the Norwegian royal family? And what does it tell us about the long tentacles of Jeffrey Epstein's influence in the palaces and parliaments of Europe?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Peter Conradi, Europe Editor, The Sunday Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Dave Creasey.

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Read more: The rape trial casting a dark shadow over Norway’s royal family

Clips: BBC News, CBS.

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Times journalist Helen Rumbelow spent two days sifting through the thousands of lurid, criminal and often coded messages between Jeffrey Epstein and his powerful friends. Buried among the shockingly misogynistic and disturbing exchanges, lies a revealing insight on how powerful men talk about women when they think no one is listening. In her widely shared article, Helen exposes not just the shocking content of those emails, but what they tell us about the mindset of powerful men.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Warning: This episode contains some strong language from the start.

Read by: Helen Rumbelow, feature writer and columnist, The Times.

Producer: Dave Creasey.

We want to hear from you - email: [email protected]

Read more: I studied the latest Epstein files. As a woman, this is what I felt

Clips: NBC.

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The fallout from the latest tranche of the Epstein files is causing chaos in Westminster. With his ex-US ambassador Peter Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein under the microscope, Labour MPs are furiously asking what Keir Starmer knew about it, and when. So will the PM be able to ride out this latest storm? And what future does Mandelson have?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producers: Harry Stott, Sophie McNulty.

We want to hear from you - email: [email protected]

Read more: 

• Starmer says sorry. But why did he swallow Mandelson’s lies?
• I studied the latest Epstein files. As a woman, this is what I felt

Further listening: 

• LATEST: The Epstein files drop — what next for Andrew?
• The new Epstein emails about Trump

Clips: Associated Press, Times Radio, BBC

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sir Keir Starmer’s next big test is the Gorton & Denton by-election in three weeks' time; commentators are calling it a three-way race between the Greens, Reform and Labour. But how is this vote a microcosm of the national picture, and what does it tell us about the direction of travel in British politics and the key issues that really sway voters?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Darryl Morris, journalist, Times Radio.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Olivia Case.

We want to hear from you - email: [email protected]

Read more: In Gorton, where Labour is counting on long memories to see off Reform

Further listening: Who is the real Melania Trump?

Clips: BBC, Channel 4, Manchester Evening News, Novara Media, The Green Party, Reform UK, The Spectator.

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On nearly every metric, the UK is ranked as one of the worst places in the Western world to have cancer. But today, the government is rolling out an ambitious new National Cancer Plan to tackle the crisis. Will it be able to shorten waiting lists? Or do cultural problems within the NHS warrant a deeper fix?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guests:

• Shaun Lintern, health editor, The Sunday Times.
• Jeremy Langmead, brand and content director of MR PORTER and contributor to The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producers: Micaela Arneson, Harry Stott.

We want to hear from you - email: [email protected]

Read more: Why is Britain still lagging behind on cancer care?

Further listening: Will a review into mental health fix a system in crisis?

Clips: ITV News.

Photo: Illustration by Pete Baker for The Sunday Times. 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A public inquiry resumes this week to investigate the deaths of over 2000 mental health inpatients in the care of NHS trusts in Essex. We unpick some of the themes the Lampard Inquiry has been hearing, and speak to a whistleblower about her experiences working on one of the wards.

This programme includes material that some listeners may find distressing, including descriptions of suicide.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guests: 

• Melanie Leahy, campaigner and mother of Matthew
• ‘Anna’, whistleblower and former staff at the Linden Centre

Host: Daniel Gordon.

Producers: Daniel Gordon, Edward Drummond, Taryn Siegel. 

We want to hear from you - email: [email protected]

If you’ve been affected by any of the issues raised, the following organisations can help: 

SANE is a charity which provides emotional support and specialist services for people who need help with their mental health and their families.

Its helpline, SANEline, is 0300 304 7000. Details of other ways to get in touch can be found at sane.org.uk 

MIND is another mental health charity offering support, its main information line is 0300 102 1234 Details of other helplines can be found at mind.org.uk 

The Samaritans provides 24 hour emotional support to people struggling to cope or relatives bereaved by suicide. Call 116 123, or visit samaritans.org.

Further listening: Britain’s mental health reckoning - part one.

Clips: The Lampard Inquiry.

Photo: Joe Giddens/PA Wire.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The latest and possibly final batch of documents was released on Friday by the US Department of Justice in their investigation of Jeffrey Epstein. New shocking discoveries have been made over the weekend that put Lord Mandelson, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, and now Sarah Ferguson, Andrew’s ex-wife, in the spotlight. What have we learned so far? And what does the future hold for the rich and powerful mentioned in these documents?

Details of these emails and the identities of those who sent them are unproven.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Kate Mansey, assistant editor and royal editor for The Times

Host: Manveen Rana

Producer: Julia Webster and Sophie McNulty

We want to hear from you - email: [email protected]

Read more: What’s in the Epstein files? The key revelations so far

Further listening: Andrew & Epstein - The King acts

Clips: The Guardian, BBC, Channel 4, DW News, The National

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.