Sir Keir Starmer's leadership has been flung into doubt, with the resignation of his closest aide.

The UK Prime Minister's chief of staff Morgan McSweeney's quit - taking responsibility for advising Starmer to appoint Peter Mandelson as US ambassador. 

Mandelson's being investigated for claims he'd passed sensitive information to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

UK correspondent Mike Pearse explained further.

LISTEN ABOVE

Sir Keir Starmer's leadership has been flung into doubt, with the resignation of his closest aide.
The UK Prime Minister's chief of staff Morgan McSweeney's quit - taking responsibility for advising Starmer to appoint Peter Mandelson as US ambassador.&nbsp;
Mandelson's being investigated for claims he'd passed sensitive information to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
UK correspondent Mike Pearse explained further.
LISTEN ABOVE

With a straight down the middle approach, Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive on Newstalk ZB delivers the very latest news and views to New Zealanders as they wrap up their day.

Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Mike Pearse: UK correspondent on whether Prime Minister Keir Starmer will resign

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/04d4ef3c-7f86-48f0-9bcf-b3ec0077e3aa/transcript

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday, 23 October, 2026, is the election over for Chippie after the gang fiasco? We question the Labour leader.

An expert's warning to check your connections after a cyber security flaw takes down websites around the world.

Business is booming for motorhomes - and it's not just Boomers buying them.

And one of our Sports Huddlers, Nathan Limm and Lavina Good, makes a big call on our highest-performing team of the year.

Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday, 23 October, 2026, is the election over for Chippie after the gang fiasco? We question the Labour leader.
An expert's warning to check your connections after a cyber security flaw takes down websites around the world.
Business is booming for motorhomes - and it's not just Boomers buying them.
And one of our Sports Huddlers, Nathan Limm and Lavina Good, makes a big call on our highest-performing team of the year.
Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Full Show Podcast: 23 October 2026 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/e6621cae-9bf6-445c-b990-b4ec0066b54c/transcript

Oh, I tell you what, I cannot see Chris Hipkins winning the election now.

I mean, if you thought that Mongrel Mob fiasco was bad before, it's got so much worse for Labour. Their candidate has quit and Chris Hipkins himself now looks like he's been fibbing to the public.

It turns out, now that we've seen the video of Kerrin Leoni at the Mongrel Mob event, that it wasn't at all the family gathering Labour told us it was. She was there in her red Labour jacket with a placard featuring a picture of herself and Chippy, telling gang members to enrol and change the government.

That doesn't look like a family barbecue, does it? I don't know how many family barbecues you turn up to wearing your work jacket.

I also don't know how many voters are going to believe Hipkins when he says he didn't know about it and that Leoni misled him. Anyone paying attention would have seen Labour doing a fair bit of misleading themselves.

When Leoni was first accused of meeting the Mongrel Mob the week before the Green and Māori parties had, Labour said it wasn't true. They said she hadn't met the gang the week before. But she had. It was nine days before, not seven, and that looks very much like Labour playing silly buggers with the timeline so we'd never know the event had happened.

If they were prepared to mislead us on that, do you really believe they didn't try to mislead us when they said, "Hey, it's just a family event," when it was actually a political event?

This is devastating for Labour because it's no longer just about whether you share Labour's values or what you think about criminals and gang members. It's now also about the integrity of the party leader and whether he and the party tried to hide this from voters.

My suspicion is that, yes, they very much did.

And that, with only two weeks until election day, is, in my view, unsurvivable for Labour short of a miracle.

LISTEN ABOVE

Oh, I tell you what, I cannot see Chris Hipkins winning the election now.
I mean, if you thought that Mongrel Mob fiasco was bad before, it's got so much worse for Labour. Their candidate has quit and Chris Hipkins himself now looks like he's been fibbing to the public.
It turns out, now that we've seen the video of Kerrin Leoni at the Mongrel Mob event, that it wasn't at all the family gathering Labour told us it was. She was there in her red Labour jacket with a placard featuring a picture of herself and Chippy, telling gang members to enrol and change the government.
That doesn't look like a family barbecue, does it? I don't know how many family barbecues you turn up to wearing your work jacket.
I also don't know how many voters are going to believe Hipkins when he says he didn't know about it and that Leoni misled him. Anyone paying attention would have seen Labour doing a fair bit of misleading themselves.
When Leoni was first accused of meeting the Mongrel Mob the week before the Green and Māori parties had, Labour said it wasn't true. They said she hadn't met the gang the week before. But she had. It was nine days before, not seven, and that looks very much like Labour playing silly buggers with the timeline so we'd never know the event had happened.
If they were prepared to mislead us on that, do you really believe they didn't try to mislead us when they said, "Hey, it's just a family event," when it was actually a political event?
This is devastating for Labour because it's no longer just about whether you share Labour's values or what you think about criminals and gang members. It's now also about the integrity of the party leader and whether he and the party tried to hide this from voters.
My suspicion is that, yes, they very much did.
And that, with only two weeks until election day, is, in my view, unsurvivable for Labour short of a miracle.
LISTEN ABOVE

Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: I cannot see Chris Hipkins winning the election

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/37970d7e-f0b7-46b3-85c4-b4ec006237b9/transcript

Senior Political Correspondent Barry Soper sits down with Heather du Plessis-Allan to review the week in politics. 

Labour candidate Kerrin Leoni has cut ties with the party after a video circulated of her campaigning with the Mongrel Mob. 

The debates are wrapped up, Barry picks his winners...and losers. 

And the founder of the Opportunity Party says the party is leaning too far to the left!

LISTEN ABOVE

Senior Political Correspondent Barry Soper sits down with Heather du Plessis-Allan to review the week in politics.&nbsp;
Labour candidate Kerrin Leoni has cut ties with the party after a video circulated of her campaigning with the Mongrel Mob.&nbsp;
The debates are wrapped up, Barry picks his winners...and losers.&nbsp;
And the founder of the Opportunity Party says the party is leaning too far to the left!
LISTEN ABOVE

Barry Soper: Senior Political Correspondent wraps the week in politics

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/bda24518-ff35-448e-8fe8-b4ec00609d73/transcript

Mike Pearse: UK correspondent on whether Prime Minister Keir Starmer will resign

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