Starmer seems to think he can do no wrong – two weeks of Mandy-mania hearings point to the opposite conclusion | Marina Hyde

Keir Starmer’s former chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, appearing before the foreign affairs select committee, 28 April 2026. Photograph: House of Commons/UK Parliament/PAView image in fullscreenKeir Starmer’s former chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, appearing before the foreign affairs select committee, 28 April 2026. Photograph: House of Commons/UK Parliament/PAOpinionMorgan McSweeneyStarmer seems to think he can do no wrong – two weeks of Mandy-mania hearings point to the opposite conclusionMarina HydeBereft of any big ideas, or indeed policies, the PM is in his happy place: a never-ending parliamentary procedural processTue 28 Apr 2026 11.19 EDTLast modified on Tue 28 Apr 2026 11.46 EDTShareHave his enemies done it? Have the rebels managed to find a thermal exhaust port in the Death Starmer that would enable them finally to destroy it? No, would seem to be the answer after yet another morning of increasingly unwatchable procedural drama for the prime minister.You know what, it’s such a shame procedural rows aren’t a path to growth. The UK would be a global economy unicorn by now. Still, here we go again for another trip down committee corridor, as the displacement activists of the British political system mine further nitty-gritty on how a sex offender’s best pal was accidentally-on-purpose appointed ambassador to the US. If we keep digging, we’re totally going to strike gold and be able to pay for all the infrastructure upgrades and housing and incentives to capital investment that are the only way out of our decline spiral, to say nothing of the defence boosting urgently required. And I’m barely kidding. There’s probably genuinely more chance of those happening via an orgy of recriminatory committee hearings than via the policies of Keir Starmer and his chancellor. If we stuck the prime minister on the psychoanalyst’s couch, I think they’d find he subconsciously provokes these endlessly consuming process crises. It’s certainly more his happy place than big ideas.To the foreign affairs select committee, then, chaired by Emily Thornberry, which was this morning hearing evidence from Starmer’s former chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, and last-but-one Foreign Office permanent secretary Philip Barton. Mad that Thornberry has spent the past week being glazed by people who honestly should know better. If Emily were an ice-cream she’d lick herself. Seemingly unable to stop herself providing running commentary on this moment in the sun, madam chair has already informed the public via some state visits to the news shows that former Foreign Office permanent secretary Olly Robbins was “bullied” into giving Mandelson the job (which was not what her witness that day – Olly Robbins – had said). To be clear, this was last week, before McSweeney had even given evidence.Thornberry may think she knows all the answers – and yet, given her role, could she possibly hold off shitposting them at least until after she’s heard from the witness in question? Otherwise all you can say is that this is a hilarious process to adopt for a committee hearing about process. The pressure was coming from Morgan McSweeney, Thornberry announced to The News Agents podcast last week. “He was a protege of Mandelson … and he was trying to deliver him the job.” Mate, why are you even having a formal hearing? If you want to wang on in undisciplined and self-indulgently process-free fashion, I’d recommend becoming a newspaper columnist or podcaster instead.Anyway: McSweeney.…

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