Are prime ministers too dependent on their top advisers?
From Not Another One by Steve Richards, Miranda Green, Tim Montgomerie and Iain Martin
April 29, 2026 · 50 min
About this episode
The episode explores the dependence of prime ministers on their chiefs of staff, focusing on Morgan McSweeney's public appearance and its implications for political leadership.
After Morgan McSweeney’s first public appearance - in front of the Foreign Affairs committee - we explore the dependence of some prime ministers on their chiefs of staff. Why do they make themselves dependent even when the dependency can lead towards their doom? Plus, did McSweeney emerge as a more complex figure than his caricature and where does this all leave Starmer? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
People in this episode
Hosts: Steve Richards, Miranda Green, Tim Montgomerie, Iain Martin
Topics covered
- prime ministers
- chiefs of staff
- political dependence
- Morgan McSweeney
- Starmer
Keywords
- prime ministers
- chiefs of staff
- political dependence
- Morgan McSweeney
- Starmer
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Foreign Affairs committee
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