Newscast – "The Week: How Keir Starmer Survived"

Date: February 13, 2026
Hosts: Chris Mason, Chris Cook
Guests: Tim Shipman (Spectator), Professor Jane Green (Nuffield Politics Research Centre)

Episode Overview

This special week-in-review episode of BBC's Newscast dissects the extraordinary political turbulence facing Labour leader and Prime Minister Keir Starmer, triggered by fallout from the Epstein scandal, internal Labour divisions, notable resignations, and mounting electoral threats. The panel unpacks how Starmer narrowly survived a potential leadership crisis and explores the broader implications for UK politics as Labour's unity, strategy, and voter base are tested like never before.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Morgan McSweeney's Departure & Starmer's Leadership Crisis

[01:30–06:39]

• Morgan McSweeney's Role:

  • Tim Shipman outlines McSweeney as Starmer's longtime political brain:

    "Keir Starmer has never had Morgan McSweeney not at his side while he's been the leader of the Labour Party..." (02:14)

  • McSweeney's approach was central to Labour's strategy, with Starmer seen as less politically instinctive.

• Resignation Details:

  • Their relationship dissolved after difficult conversations, with McSweeney effectively forcing the issue:

    "Since I don't appear to have your confidence, we might as well call this quits." (03:15)

  • Tim notes Labour insiders doubting Starmer's engagement and drive:

    "...serious questions about how engaged the Prime Minister is... He doesn't seem that interested in policy." (03:40)

• Electoral Impact:

  • Prof. Jane Green argues McSweeney gets “credit for that election result, but nevertheless not necessarily... perhaps getting the right level of credit” (04:29), highlighting that Labour's landslide was largely due to Tory disillusionment and tactical voting, not campaign genius.

• Strategic Tension:

  • Green details internal Labour debate on courting Reform party voters versus losing ground to left-wing parties—a strategy she suggests is risky:

    “Perhaps in Tim's piece, I think there was some caution around his reasoning... he's been courting reform voters, he's been taking huge gambles with voters lost to the left and that's ultimately what's going to do Labour the most harm.” (06:26)

2. Labours’ Identity, Leadership Fears, and the “Moldability” of Starmer

[06:39–08:23]

• Chris Cook highlights a persistent inner-party concern:

  "There's been this persistent critique... about a lack of sense of definition of what the Starmer project is all about..." (06:50)

• Leadership replacement considered too risky during government. MPs wonder if Starmer is a ‘moldable’ leader who can be guided by party factions:

  “To what extent right now does the collective of Labour MPs think, ah, maybe this is a guy we can mold?” (08:04)

3. Scottish Labour’s Gamble & UK Electoral Fragmentation

[08:23–14:13]

• Anas Sarwar’s Call for Starmer to Go:

  • Sarwar, Scottish Labour leader, made an extraordinary public demand for Starmer's resignation — interpreted as an act of desperation due to projected defeat in May’s Scottish elections.

    "He becomes the most high-profile figure in the Labour Party, Labour movement to call for the Prime Minister to go..." (08:23)

• Electoral Landscape in Scotland:

  • Professor Jane Green details Labour’s brand challenge and a collapse in support, while the SNP retains a commanding lead:

    “...Labour support has plummeted everywhere and the Conservative support has continued to decline and Reform are now looking like in the polls, in second place, but they're just inched across above Labour and what we're really seeing is massive splintering.” (11:17)

• UK Political Fragmentation:

  • Tim Shipman:

    “We’ve effectively got seven parties that could end up with 20, 30, 40 seats at the next general election... it’s much more about turning out your core vote than it used to be.” (13:20)

4. Nationalism & Two-Party Contestations

[14:13–16:00]

• Rising prominence of nationalist parties in UK nations signals politics fragmenting along national lines:

  “Are we seeing the fragmentation of UK politics along competing nationalist lines?” (14:50, Chris Mason)

• Professor Jane Green describes the new normal as “lots and lots of two party contests” but involving different opponents, not just Labour vs. Conservative:

  “…public opinion, electoral choice is very structured still, but it's structured on two sides... left or liberal parties or right conservative parties. And then throw in nationalism as well if you want a bit of additional complication.” (16:00)

5. Surviving the Week & Cabinet Solidarity

[17:46–19:17]

• Chris Mason notes that after Anas Sarwar’s call, Starmer’s cabinet moved to close ranks, expressing public support (18:01).
• Tim Shipman clarifies that Labour leadership genuinely feared a collapse:

  “...there were Cabinet ministers phoning each other over the weekend saying, 'What should we do about this? This is a total mess.'” (18:37)

6. Scandals & Perception of Labour

[19:17–24:47]

• Matthew Doyle Scandal:

  • Labour Director of Communication loses whip for association with Sean Morton, convicted of indecent offenses. Questions over what Starmer knew (19:17–21:20).

• Boys’ Club Culture and Epithets:

  • Labour women’s fury surfaces; backbencher Emma Lewell-Buck reports being publicly branded as part of the "Pedo Protectors Party" (22:52).
  • The accumulation of scandals—Epstein, Mandelson, Doyle—erode Labour's image.
  • Professor Jane Green:

    "I've been using the word disillusionment... it's not disillusionment anymore, is it? It's fury... fundamentally driven by a very, very difficult, pressing, everyday, difficult financial situation... my opinion is still the driving force of a lot of discontent.” (24:13)

7. Starmer’s Survival and Shifting Strategies

[24:47–27:24]

• Chris Mason observes “moves” by senior Labour figures (Nandy, Rayner, Streeting), hinting at potential leadership jockeying:

  “Lisa Nandy... calling the last few weeks unforgivable... Wes Streeting... publishing his WhatsApp conversations with Peter Mandelson... I just think it's interesting when you see people moving. Am I reading too much into these things?” (24:56–25:37)

• Tim Shipman sees ideological tension unresolved:

  “If Labour's going to have a growth strategy, it probably needs to have a different net zero strategy. That is a tension that they haven't resolved.” (25:37)

• Chris Cook suggests Starmer is tilting "more towards the soft left... there might be a logic for him doing that. A, because it might be where he's more comfortable and B, because that's probably where the center of gravity of the parliamentary Labour Party is.” (26:15)

8. Would a New Labour Leader Change the Party's Fortunes?

[27:24–29:14]

• Prof. Jane Green cautions against assuming a simple swap will boost Labour’s popularity:
  • "It's not a simple equation where you say popular person makes party popular... The massive risks are division is very bad." (27:45)

9. The “Bizarre” US Ambassador Shortlist

[29:14–30:26]

• Tim Shipman reveals Starmer’s odd shortlist for US Ambassador: Peter Mandelson, George Osborne, and Bear Grylls (“it was McSweeney who talked him into Mandelson”).
  • “It’s so bonkers that it simply has to be true. And it is.” (29:39)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Starmer’s Leadership Style:

  "He doesn't seem that interested in policy. He doesn't seem to understand that a prime minister needs to kind of drive things from the center, and that that whole sort of purpose and vision and energy seems to be lacking."
  — Tim Shipman (03:45)

• Defining Labour’s Crisis:

  "Disillusionment is just frankly too weak a word now."
  — Professor Jane Green (24:47)

• On the Party’s Moldability:

  "To what extent right now does the collective of Labour MPs think, ah, maybe this is a guy we can mold?"
  — Chris Cook (08:04)

• On Internal Party Risk:

  "The massive risks are division is very bad... So you have a period of time where you're having an in fight and a bun fight, and you look like you're talking about yourself, that does a whole load of damage."
  — Professor Jane Green (28:14)

• On Leadership's Flirtation with Unconventional Picks:

  “Even more weird, of course, is that George Osborne was originally Keir Starmer's selection to be [US ambassador]. It was McSweeney that talked him into Mandelson, ultimately. Bear Grylls... would have been interesting.”
  — Tim Shipman (29:36)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• McSweeney departure and its implications: 01:30–06:39
• Labour’s definition and “moldability” of Starmer: 06:39–08:23
• Scottish Labour and Sarwar’s call: 08:23–11:17
• Fragmentation in UK politics and nationalism: 14:13–16:00
• Cabinet solidarity and Starmer’s survival: 17:46–19:17
• Matthew Doyle scandal and Labour’s public image woes: 19:17–24:47
• Leadership moves and potential tilt leftward: 24:47–27:24
• Effect (or not) of changing leaders in polling: 27:24–29:14
• The Bear Grylls US Ambassador moment: 29:14–30:26

Concluding Thoughts

The episode paints a picture of Labour—and the UK’s political landscape—at a moment of crisis and flux. Despite narrowly surviving the week, Starmer’s leadership continues to be buffeted by scandals, resignations, ideological disputes, and the renewed threat of electoral wipe-outs, especially from both left and right splinter parties. The mood has shifted from disillusionment to anger among voters and MPs alike, with Labour’s leadership, direction, and future unity in question. Meanwhile, the episode ends with the kind of political oddity—Bear Grylls nearly becoming US Ambassador—that underscores the surreal unpredictability of these times.