Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced he will allow the US to use British bases for 'defensive' strikes on Iranian missile sites, but says the UK government 'will not join offensive action now'.

Donald Trump says he’s ’very disappointed’ in Starmer and condemned the delay in making that decision.

So is the UK at war with Iran and what does it mean for the UK-US special relationship?

On this episode of Talking Politics Robert speaks to Julie Etchingham who is in Erbil, northern Iraq, about the escalating war in the Middle East and what it means for Starmer.

Shockwaves are surging through British politics after a dramatic by-election in Gorton and Denton. In this episode of Talking Politics, Robert and Tom unpack what the Greens’ victory means for Labour - was Starmer “nuts” for not taking the left-wing party more seriously? And will he have to step down? With cries of dodgy practices and unfair treatment, they also discuss ‘family voting’ and whether it was an issue in the contest.

In a week that started with Peter Mandelson's arrest, and will end with a crucial by-election for the PM, Tom and Robert discuss whether Mandelson's arrest will prove terminal for Starmer.

They unpack why Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle warned the Met that Mandelson was a flight risk - triggering his arrest.

The former Business Secretary denies any wrongdoing, and says his overriding priority is to cooperate with the police investigation and clear his name.

But will Mandelson's arrest define the PM's premiership?

Tom and Robert discuss what could happen in this week's by-election in Gorton and Denton and how it could be the most important result of the PM's career.

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Full list of candidates in the Gorton and Denton by-election

Nick Buckley – Advance UK

Charlotte Cadden – Conservatives

Dan Clarke – Libertarian Party

Matt Goodwin – Reform UK

Sir Oink A Lot – The Official Monster Raving Looney Party

Joseph O’Meachair – Rejoin EU

Sebastian Moore – Social Democratic Party

Jacqueline Pearcey – Liberal Democrats

Hannah Spencer – Green Party

Angeliki Stogia – Labour Party

Hugo Wils – Communist League

Meet Senator Mark Kelly: distinguished Navy Pilot, NASA astronaut and Democratic Senator for Arizona, but when Kelly urged service members to refuse illegal orders, Donald Trump said he should be punished “by death”.

Trump later clarified, "I'm not threatening death, but I think they're in serious trouble."

Now Kelly's contemplating a run for the Presidency himself.

Tom sits down with the Senator to discuss the death threats and lawsuits that have followed, why he believes you need to "stand up to bullies" and his advice to the UK: "You don't want somebody like him in charge of the UK."

Is the US a reliable ally? If he was still serving, would he obey orders to invade Greenland? And what lessons can the UK learn from the MAGA movement?

Tom and Robert discuss how much trouble how much trouble Sir Keir Starmer is in, who could replace him as PM and how Labour chooses a new leader.

It follows the latest relation that Downing Street's former Director of Communications Matthew Doyle was given a peerage, despite him campaining in 2017 for a councillor who had been charged with child sex offences.

At Prime Minister's Questions, Starmer said Doyle "did not give a full account of his actions" before he was made a Lord in January.

Doyle has had the whip removed and apologised. In a statement he said: “I want to apologise for my past association with Sean Morton. His offences were vile and I completely condemn the actions for which he was rightly convicted. My thoughts are with the victims and all those impacted by these crimes.”

Can Sir Keir Starmer survive the Peter Mandelson scandal? Tom Bradby and Robert Peston discuss his chances, after Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar becomes the most senior serving Labour figure to call for the PM to stand down.

It comes after the resignation of Downing Street Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney, who had masterminded Starmer's path to power but accepted responsibility for advising the PM to appoint Peter Mandelson as US Ambassador.

The latest release of files relating to the paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein have revealed the extent of his friendship with Mandelson. Pressure is mounting on Starmer after he admitted Mandelson's links to Epstein, following his sex offence conviction, were mentioned in his vetting. Starmer told MPs Mandelson had 'repeatedly' lied during in the vetting process.

ITV News has attempted to contact Mandelson multiple times in relation to the allegations against him but has not received a response. Being named in emails and documents released from the US Department of Justice is not evidence of wrongdoing.

Tom and Robert discuss the Peter Mandelson fallout, after the former Business Secretary was forced to resign from the Labour Party and the House of Lords following the latest release of Epstein files.

Amongst the 3m documents are emails appearing to show that at the height of the financial crisis, Mandelson was sharing highly sensitive government information with the sex-offender financier.

So what exactly was that information and how could Epstein have used it?

Meanwhile, where does all this leave Keir Starmer after he made Mandelson US Ambassador when his association with Epstein was public knowledge.

Mandelson is yet to comment publicly on the allegations, but has said that he regrets his friendship with Epstein.

Tom and Robert also discuss the Polish PM's claim that Epstein could have been a Russian spy, and the continued problems the Epstein files bring the royal family - with the files revealing more details of the contact Epstein had with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson after his conviction for child sex offences. The former prince has strenuously denied any wrongdoing and the former Duchess has previously expressed regret over her association with Epstein.

As Keir Starmer tries to shake off the backlash of Andy Burnham's failed bid to get on the ballot for the Gorton and Denton by-election...what really went on behind closed doors?

Downing Street and the Greater Manchester Mayor have both denied reports he was told in advance that he would be blocked by Labour's ruling National Executive Committee. But Robert Peston has the inside story.

And with Labour leadership candidates waiting in the wings... how should Starmer have handled it instead?

Meanwhile, Robert exclusively reveals why events in Canada could put King Charles's trip to America in jeopardy.