Mandelson: A Homosexual History - Episode 6

Mandelson: A Homosexual History - Episode 6

From Bad Gays by Huw Lemmey & Ben Miller

June 3, 2026 · 1h 2m · Season 10 · Episode 141

About this episode

The episode discusses Peter Mandelson's political career and influence following Keir Starmer's election as Labour leader.

The final episode of our saga: Mandelson's fall from grace in the aftermath of Keir Starmer's election first as leader of the Labour Party and then as one of Britain's most rapidly unpopular Prime Ministers. Can't get enough Mandelson? Subscribe now to Extra Bad Gays to hear our subscriber-only followup discussion with James Butler of the LRB and Juliet Jacques of Suite 212. Mandelson knows too much, understands too much, to be left out of the equation. It’s because he’s sly and underhanded and deceitful that people need him, because it’s a political system that works on those qualities. This is court politics; it’s what Mandelson is a master of, it’s what Epstein was a master of, it’s what Trump is a master of: the informal power of relationships. ----more---- SOURCES: Mandelson and the making of New Labour, Donald Macintyre Mandy: The Unauthorised Biography of Peter Mandelson, Paul Routledge Outrageous! The Story of Section 28 and Britain's Battle for LGBT Education, Paul Baker Tory Pride and Prejudice: The Conservative Party and homosexual law reform, Michael McManus The Rivals : the intimate story of a political marriage, James Naughtie Bloody Nasty People, Daniel Trilling…

People in this episode

Hosts: Huw Lemmey, Ben Miller

Guests: James Butler, Juliet Jacques

Topics covered

  • politics
  • LGBT history
  • Labour Party
  • Peter Mandelson
  • Keir Starmer
  • court politics

Keywords

  • Mandelson
  • Keir Starmer
  • Labour Party
  • politics
  • LGBT
  • history
  • James Butler
  • Juliet Jacques

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Labour Party, LRB, Suite 212

Books & works: Mandy: The Unauthorised Biography of Peter Mandelson, Outrageous! The Story of Section 28 and Britain's Battle for LGBT Education, Tory Pride and Prejudice: The Conservative Party and homosexual law reform, The Rivals: the intimate story of a political marriage, Bloody Nasty People, Clampdown: Pop-Cultural wars on class and Gender, 1997: The Future That Never Happened

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