The Ordinary Elite - E3 - The Fraud with Paul Holden

The Ordinary Elite - E3 - The Fraud with Paul Holden

From The Ordinary Elite by The Ordinary Elite

February 6, 2026 · 1h 1m · Season 5 · Episode 3

About this episode

In this episode, the hosts discuss Paul Holden's book on political fraud within the Labour Party, focusing on Keir Starmer and Morgan McSweeney's influence.

The Ordinary Elite is a Scottish podcast brought to you from Glasgow by John McGovern and Mike Dailly. Both are Solicitor Advocates - John a criminal defence lawyer and Mike a civil litigation practitioner and social justice campaigner. In episode 3 of Season 5 we discuss Paul Holden's new book. The Fraud shows how Keir Starmer has been the frontman for a ruthless, right-wing political project headed by Morgan McSweeney, now chief of staff in Number 10 and arguably the most powerful man in Britain. McSweeney guided Starmer to the Labour leadership on a platform that Starmer, once in office, almost instantly betrayed. Having conquered the party on false pretences, McSweeney and his allies set about purging opponents, marginalising the membership, and dragging party policy to the right. This is a sordid tale that includes hacked emails, anonymous smears, dodgy dossiers, cynical stitch-ups, and staggering hypocrisy. Paul's book is available to buy here .

People in this episode

Hosts: John McGovern, Mike Dailly

Guest: Paul Holden

Topics covered

  • political fraud
  • Labour Party
  • Scottish politics
  • Keir Starmer
  • Morgan McSweeney
  • social justice

Keywords

  • political fraud
  • Keir Starmer
  • Morgan McSweeney
  • Labour Party
  • Paul Holden
  • Scottish podcast
  • social justice

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Labour, Number 10

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