In The Room – Details, episodes & analysis

Two former Westminster insiders reveal how politics and power really work. 

Ever wondered what goes on behind closed doors at No 10? Or who’s the first person on the phone when a Prime Minister lands themselves in hot water? 

Each week former Deputy Cabinet Secretary Helen MacNamara and Cleo Watson, former political advisor to Theresa May and Boris Johnson, dissect the week’s biggest news, revealing how decisions get made, why they go wrong, and what should happen next. 

In The Room is straight-talking, insider analysis with a dose of humour, every Friday.

Find the best clips from the podcast and more from Helen and Cleo on the show's Instagram page here.

This podcast is part of The Independent Podcast Network and is produced in association with Next Chapter Studios

Executive Producers: Olivia Foster and Carrie Rose

Producer: Sam Durham

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it feel like to be inside Number 10 when the PM’s power is fading? 

With pressure mounting for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to go, former Deputy Cabinet Secretary Helen MacNamara and Cleo Watson, ex-advisor to Theresa May and Boris Johnson, reveal the sights, sounds - and even smells - that emerge when the foundations at 10 Downing Street start to shake. They also offer up some sage advice to an imperilled PM and ask: How can he turn this sinking ship around? Is it time for him to dance like no one’s watching? And is there anyone who can help him?

Cover image credit: PA

Find the best clips from the podcast and more from Helen and Cleo on the show's Instagram page here.

This podcast is part of The Independent Podcast Network and is produced in association with Next Chapter Studios

Executive Producers: Olivia Foster and Carrie Rose

Producer: Sam Durham

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The fallout from the Prime Minister’s decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as US Ambassador isn’t going away. But it’s far from his only controversial hire.

Former Deputy Cabinet Secretary Helen MacNamara and Cleo Watson, former No. 10 special advisor, analyse Downing Street's hiring and firing crisis.

They explain how hiding behind "process" is actively damaging Starmer’s ability to lead with integrity, asking the questions Number 10 won't answer: How exactly did Mandelson clear vetting? How did Matthew Doyle - Starmer’s former Director of Communications - fly under the radar despite ties to a convicted pedophile? And why on earth is the Minister for Inquiries now the subject of an inquiry? 

Cover image: PA

Find the best clips from the podcast and more from Helen and Cleo on the show's Instagram page here.

This podcast is part of The Independent Podcast Network and is produced in association with Next Chapter Studios

Executive Producers: Olivia Foster and Carrie Rose

Producer: Sam Durham

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A week is a long time in politics. After a crushing by-election defeat last week, the Prime Minister was hoping for a quiet week to recalibrate. Instead, he got a new war. The US and Israel’s joint attack on Iran has set in motion a whole new set of pressures on his government; navigating the ‘Special Relationship’ with the US, confronting the long shadow of Iraq hanging over the Labour Party and keeping the domestic ship afloat.

In this episode, former Deputy Cabinet Secretary Helen MacNamara and Cleo Watson, former Special Advisor to Boris Johnson, reveal the reality of Number 10 on a war footing. What’s it like inside COBR meetings? Does the ‘boys club’ mentality take over? And how the hell do you keep the country running?

Timecodes: 

00:00 Introduction

01:28 Iran War: recap of the week’s events

04:41 Domestic backdrop: Spring statement

07:01 The strange geography of 10 Downing Street this week

09:45 How to spot the signs of war in Number 10

12:45 History lesson: Gordon Brown’s COBR meetings

16:51 Why Boris Johnson didn’t like COBR meetings

19:40 The ‘Boys Club’ mindset at a time of war

24:03 Party politics during war

26:30 Why the Conservatives haven’t backed Labour

30:15 The importance of a US ambassador

31:50 Bizarre phone calls with POTUS

33:10 Theresa May holding hands with Trump

35:28 What should Starmer do next?

Cover image: PA

Find the best clips from the podcast and more from Helen and Cleo on the show's Instagram page here.

This podcast is part of The Independent Podcast Network and is produced in association with Next Chapter Studios

Executive Producers: Olivia Foster and Carrie Rose

Producer: Sam Durham

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last month, Parliament demanded the government release the Mandelson files. What followed was five long weeks of waiting.

This week, the Prime Minister’s Chief Secretary, Darren Jones, finally stepped up to announce their release. So, what’s inside? A total of 147 pages: 10 pages of contents and introduction, 28 entirely blank pages, 30 pages of standard HR guidance. All filler, no killer?

In this episode, we explain the release of the Mandelson files: who decides what gets buried or revealed in a document dump like this, why Peter Mandelson thought he deserved a £500,000 payout, and whether the most explosive revelations are still to come?

Timecodes

00:00 Introduction

01:20 Mandelson scandal: Timeline of key events

03:45 What are the Jeffrey Epstein files?

05:11 How are the Mandelson files different? 

05:46 The role of the Metropolitan Police

07:03 Parliament’s role in Mandelson file release

07:40 Government’s decision to release the files

10:02 How did these files get put together? 

11:05 What’s in the 147 pages?

13:38 Why are there no WhatsApp messages in the files?

16:30 What advice did Starmer receive on Mandelson appointment?

20:35 The due diligence report explained

21:50 “Procuring a young girl”: Inaccurate language in the files 

26:30 The government’s ‘fact finding’ mission

29:01 Why this should not be a political decision

35:15 Why did Mandelson demand a payout?

36:30 Mandelson: a cat with nine lives?

39:11 Kemi Badenoch’s reaction

41:45 Why this leaves Starmer so exposed

Find the best clips from the podcast and more from Helen and Cleo on the show's Instagram page here.

This podcast is part of The Independent Podcast Network and is produced in association with Next Chapter Studios

Executive Producers: Olivia Foster and Carrie Rose

Producer: Sam Durham

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, as the war in the Middle East escalated, energy prices were soaring while the government scrambled to provide emergency support. Some £53million was announced by Ed Milliband, but is it really enough to help families who are struggling with the cost of living?

In this episode we pull apart the UK’s cost of living malaise: Nigel Farage’s headline‑grabbing pledge to pay the energy bills of an entire street, how serious the threat of new Trump tariffs really is, and reveal why Britain is so exposed to geopolitical shocks.

Find the best clips from the podcast and more from Helen and Cleo on the show's Instagram page here.

This podcast is part of The Independent Podcast Network and is produced in association with Next Chapter Studios

Executive Producers: Olivia Foster and Carrie Rose

Producer: Sam Durham

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, as Blackrock big boss Larry Fink warned we could be heading for a global recession if the US Iran war continues, we discuss whether people should be prepping for what’s to come. From whether you should have a jerry can of fuel in your garage, to why you should be jotting down your favourite radio stations. 

Helen and Cleo look back at Covid times, when loo roll was in short supply and panic was rising. They discuss how the government can effectively support citizens, land the right messaging at a time of crisis, and whether having micro-influencers do the work for them is a good strategy. 

Find the best clips from the podcast and more from Helen and Cleo on the show's Instagram page here.

This podcast is part of The Independent Podcast Network and is produced in association with Next Chapter Studios

Executive Producers: Olivia Foster and Carrie Rose

Producer: Sam Durham

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Whilst much of the country is enjoying a long Easter weekend, it’s far harder for MPs to switch off. And when they do, they might just end up getting lampooned for it. This week Keir Starmer was ridiculed for his 5-a-side prowess, while Labour MP for Walthamstow Stella Creasy faced criticism for posting a clip of herself dancing at a silent disco. 

In the midst of the US Iran war and a deepening cost of living crisis, Helen and Cleo discuss why it’s so hard for MPs to catch a break and why it’s always a good idea to think before you post on social media.

Find the best clips from the podcast and more from Helen and Cleo on the show's Instagram page here.

This podcast is part of The Independent Podcast Network and is produced in association with Next Chapter Studios

Executive Producers: Olivia Foster and Carrie Rose

Producer: Sam Durham

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens inside government when the US President Donald Trump threatens to “destroy a whole civilisation”?

As tensions spike following extraordinary comments from Donald Trump, former Deputy Cabinet Secretary Helen MacNamara and Cleo Watson, ex-advisor to Theresa May and Boris Johnson, take you inside the rooms where officials scramble to respond to the unpredictable. From emergency calls with ambassadors to the quiet panic of Whitehall planning for an oil shock, they reveal how the UK system struggles when the rulebook no longer applies.

They also ask: how should Keir Starmer handle a leader who changes course by the hour? What would actually be happening behind the scenes during the two-week ceasefire? And as fuel costs rise and global norms wobble, are we watching a temporary crisis - or the start of a completely new world order?

Find the best clips from the podcast and more from Helen and Cleo on the show's Instagram page here.

This podcast is part of The Independent Podcast Network and is produced in association with Next Chapter Studios

Executive Producers: Olivia Foster and Carrie Rose

Producer: Sam Durham

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There’s a new development in the Mandelson-Epstein-Starmer scandal – and as usual, it raises more questions over No. 10’s dealings than it answers.

In this emergency broadcast Helen and Cleo break down the newest revelations about Mandelson’s failed security vetting: Why did the Foreign Office overrule it? How do these processes actually work? And could sacking Olly Robbins shape up to be Starmer’s biggest mistake?

Find the best clips from the podcast and more from Helen and Cleo on the show's Instagram page here.

This podcast is part of The Independent Podcast Network and is produced in association with Next Chapter Studios

Executive Producers: Olivia Foster and Carrie Rose

Producer: Sam Durham

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.