Newscast

Today, Keir Starmer has sent a "real chill throughout the civil service." That’s according to a senior union official following his decision to sack the lead civil servant in the Foreign Office, Olly Robbins.
James and Chris are joined by Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government, Catherine Haddon, to discuss the recent turbulence in the relationship between the government and the Civil Service over the appointment of Peter Mandelson and whats next for the institution.
And, economics editor Faisal also joins us to discuss why the inflation rate has increased 3.3% in March.
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Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. It was presented by James Cook. It was made by Chris Gray with Jem Westgate. The social producer was Joe Wilkinson. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The editor is Sam Bonham.

Today, Olly Robbins the sacked former Foreign Office chief, says number 10 had a “dismissive” attitude to the vetting of Lord Mandelson.
Robbins told MPs when he took over the role there was "already a very very strong expectation" from No 10 that Mandelson "needed to be in post and in America as quickly as possible". Downing Street has denied showing a "dismissive" approach to the vetting, and says Robbins made an "error of judgement".
So where does this leave the Prime Minister? Adam and Chris discuss.
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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

Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Jack Maclaren with Anna Harris. The social producer was . The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

Today, the Prime Minister has faced questions from MPs over the appointment of Lord Mandelson as US ambassador, despite failing security vetting.
Sir Keir Starmer accused officials in the Foreign Office of deliberately and repeatedly withholding the fact Lord Mandelson initially failed security vetting for the role. Giving a statement to MPs, the prime minister said if he had known, he would not have gone ahead with the appointment. Adam and Chris discuss where this leaves Starmer.
And, on a day where the status of US-Iran ceasefire talks are unclear Adam speaks to chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet from Tehran.
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 presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Jack Maclaren with Anna Harris and Shiler Mahmoudi. The social producer was Jem Westgate. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

Today, Adam joined Laura and Paddy to chew over the latest news from Iran, Scotland, and Downing Street. Ahead of the Prime Minister’s appearance in parliament, they discuss what we’ve learned today about what Sir Keir Starmer knew, or did not know, about the Lord Mandelson’s vetting by the foreign office. Laura spoke to cabinet minister Liz Kendall, who backed the PM and said that Starmer would have blocked the appointment of Lord Mandelson as US ambassador had he known he failed security vetting.
Elsewhere, negotiations continue between the US and Iran over the Strait of Hormuz. But is it actually currently open or closed? Has the ceasefire been breached? And what happens next? Paddy has been putting those questions to Lyse Doucet in Tehran.
Plus, Laura has been in Scotland speaking to voters and the party leaders about how those issues and others will affect which way voters go in the May elections.
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 presenters were Laura Kuenssberg, Paddy O'Connell, and Adam Fleming. It was made by Rufus Gray with Adam Chowdhury. The social producer was Sophie Millward. The technical producer was Jonny Hall. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

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?
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 presenters were Laura Kuenssberg and Paddy O'Connell. It was made by Rufus Gray with Kris Jalowiecki. The social producer was Sophie Millward. The technical producer was Rohan Madison. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.