The Rest Is Politics
Two men who’ve been at the heart of the political world - former Downing Street Director of Communications and Strategy Alastair Campbell and cabinet minister Rory Stewart - join forces from across the political divide. The Rest Is Politics lifts the lid on the secrets of Westminster, offering an insider’s view on politics at home and abroad, while bringing back the lost art of disagreeing agreeably. Twitter: @RestIsPolitics Instagram: @restispolitics Email: restispolitics@gmail.com
342. Question Time: Farmer vs Starmer, courting China, and the purpose of COP
341. Biden vs. Trump: A fight for the future of Ukraine
340. Question Time: Assisted Dying, Texting Macron, and the Politics of Scandal
339. Trump, the Middle East, and Ukraine
338. Trump beyond America: what’s next?
337. Trump Returns: What Now?
336. 8am: TRUMP WINS
335. 6am: Trump On The Brink
334. 11pm: US Election Countdown Begins
333. Kemi Badenoch, Tory Party Leader
332. Rachel Reeves' Budget: How does it affect you?
331. Question Time: Murdoch or Musk — who has more power?
330. The US Election: One week to go
329. Question Time: Technology, privacy, and the battle for the NHS
328. Could Russia interfere in the US election?
327. Question Time: What does peace look like in the Middle East?
326. Labour's first 100 days, the Tory leadership race, and Japan
325. Question Time: Are the Tories dead or sleeping?
324. Israel at War: One Year On
323. Question Time: How it feels to become “the story”
322. Israel vs Hezbollah: Iran’s next move
321. Question Time: Why do politicians leak to the press?
320. Labour’s struggle to define itself, Hezbollah vs. Israel, and understanding Long Covid
319. TRIP US: The Only State Trump Needs to Win
318. Question Time: Does America really care about the ‘special relationship’?
317. How to save the NHS
316. Why Kamala Harris Still Has a Problem
315. Question Time: Should we fine people for missing doctor's appointments?
314. Trump stumbles - but did Harris see him off?
313. Why Starmer needs to be unpopular
312. Is America Ready for Gun Reform?
311. Question Time: Should Labour ban smoking?
310. The rise of Germany’s far-right
309. Trump's Secret Weapon
308. Question Time: Can you be friends with someone you totally disagree with politically?
307. Starmer put to the test, Modi's visit to Ukraine, and tragedy unfolds in Sudan
306. Did Kamala Harris' speech scare Trump?
305. The Obamas takedown Donald Trump
304. Question Time: Could Trump try and subvert the US election results?
303. The speech Joe Biden never wanted to give (Live from the Democratic National Convention)
302. It’s Trump’s Race to Lose
301. Question Time: Iran’s retaliation, Labour "press bias" and an Olympic hangover
300. Why Ukraine invaded Russia, the Musk-Trump love-in, and Rory’s visit to Afghanistan
299. The Secret Behind Trump's Silence
298. Question Time: Venezuela’s fate, Hezbollah’s response, and how prisoner swaps really work
297. Far-right chaos, Harris’ running mate, and Bangladesh’s power vacuum
296. Could Donald Trump drop out?
295. Question Time: Israel vs. Hezbollah, legalising cannabis, and Kamala Harris' Middle East strategy
294. Labour’s defining moment and the next Tory leader
293. Trump’s Next Move
292. Question Time: China’s army in Europe, Just Stop Oil behind bars, and Andrew Tate
291. The Rise of Kamala Harris
290. JOE BIDEN DROPS OUT
289. TRIP US: The Week Trump Won?
288. Is Labour's King's Speech bold enough?
287. Trump’s VP, Labour vs. China, and the King’s Speech
286. Trump Assassination Attempt: The Aftermath
285. TRIP US: DONALD TRUMP SHOT
284. TRIP US: Biden’s Last Stand
283. Did Reform UK create a fake general election candidate?
282. Starmer’s first week, Le Pen’s loss in France, and Iran’s new president
281. How one night transformed British politics
280. Starmer’s Labour Landslide - 3:30am update
279. The Day Britain Decides
278. Question Time: How reliable are the polls?
277. What stands in the way of a Labour landslide?
276. Why Joe Biden must step down
275. TRIP US: Advantage Trump: Will the Democrats move to replace Joe Biden?
274. Sunak vs Starmer: The Final Showdown
273. Question Time: Julian Assange, firing your friends, and why Labour should raise taxes
272. Sunak’s betting scandal, Farage in trouble, and will Rory vote Green?
271. TRIP US: Biden really losing Hispanic and Black voters?
270. Will Israel go to war with Hezbollah?
269. Question Time: Orban in person, Biden's fragility, and the subtle art of focus groups
268. The Tories' 'taxtopia' attack, Macron's gamble, and the politics of football
267. TRIP US: If Trump wins, what actually happens to America?
266. Labour vs Conservatives: What do their manifestos reveal?
265. Starmer vs Sunak - Round 2: Who won ‘The Battle For Number 10’?
264. Rishi Sunak’s defining moment
263. TRIP US: Donald Trump, Silicon Valley and Wall Street: Big Money's Deal with the Devil
262. Modi loses his majority, Sunak takes on the Treasury, and Welsh Labour in crisis
261. Sunak vs Starmer: Who won?
260. The return of Nigel Farage: does it matter?
259. Can Trump still run for president?
258. DONALD TRUMP FOUND GUILTY
257. Diane Abbott, Nigel Farage, and how to plan a campaign
256. Question Time: Will the podcast dynamic change after the election?
255. Is Labour's lead narrowing?
254. Question Time: Is Biden alienating young voters?
253. TRIP US: Donald Trump vs. Keir Starmer: The end of the special relationship?
252. SUNAK CALLS GENERAL ELECTION
251. The Infected Blood Scandal
250. TRIP US: Why Trump won't go to jail
249. Question Time: Political honeymoons - how quickly could the public turn on Keir Starmer?
248. Battle lines are drawn: defections, defence, and David Gauke
247. Robert F Kennedy Jr: Donald Trump's Vice President?
246. What Britain thinks: Is the monarchy our greatest soft power asset?
245. Are we really heading for a hung parliament?
244. How to buy the White House
243. Question Time: The worst political cliches, US voter suppression, and is the left-leaning media too 'worthy'?
242. Scotland in crisis, how to get an opposition MP to defect, and can Britain defend itself?
241. From White House To Courthouse: Trump On Trial
240. Question Time: Should Britain nationalise its railways?
239. The Rwanda ruling, Trudeau in trouble, and The Rest Is Politics: US edition
238. Question Time: Liz Truss, climate change deniers, and why print media is so polarised
237. Iran, Israel, and the Middle East: Stopping the slide into all-out war
236. Question Time: The fight to be Donald Trump’s VP nominee
235. What Britain really thinks of politics
234. Question Time: Why New Labour introduced tuition fees, Thatcher and Blair’s canvassing secrets, and the greatest prime minister we never had
233. From peerages to Putin: the fight against corruption in politics
232. Question Time: ISIS-K vs Russia, radical reform of the NHS, and the fight against child poverty
231. Labour's struggle for economic vision and Haiti on the brink
230. Question Time: £91,000… Should MPs be paid more?
229. Putin’s sham election, Sunak under threat, and the rift between France and Germany
228. Question Time: The legacy of Theresa May, abolishing National Insurance, and Sweden joins NATO
227. Biden’s aid port in Gaza, Tory defection to Reform, and a mole at the top of the IRA
226. Question Time: Google vs OpenAI, the new Portuguese populist, and why do dictators hold elections?
225. George Galloway returns, 'omnishambles' budgets, and the plight of Sudan
224. Question Time: Liz Truss' 'deep state' comments, disability policy, and Shamima Begum
223. Islamophobia, chaos in the House of Commons, and the North Korean election
222. Question Time: Banning phones in schools and parliament, citizens' assemblies, and American isolationism
221. The Killing of Alexei Navalny
220. Sunak's by-election disaster, Reform UK gains momentum, and political crisis in Rochdale
219. Question Time: Vladimir Putin’s strategy, Labour’s selection headache, and VAT on private schools
218. Could the Democrats replace Joe Biden? What’s next for Imran Khan? Why are young people deserting British conservatism?
217. Question Time: How to cover Israel-Gaza, Labour’s £28bn green investment, and Taylor Swift vs Donald Trump
216. King Charles, Sunak’s £1000 bet, and the future of North Korea
215. Question Time: An election in May, combatting homelessness, and investigating think tanks
214. Israel in court, attacks on American soldiers, and the problem with polling
213. Question Time: Standing up to Netanyahu, why Starmer would work with Trump, and the differences between Sunni and Shia
212. Why Trump's return wasn't inevitable
211. Question Time: Taiwan’s new president, Macron's successor, and the difference between Tories and Conservatives
210. Is the Middle East sliding into a wider regional conflict?
209. Question Time: What happens when privatisation goes wrong?
208. History's warning to Labour, the Post Office scandal, and Bangladesh's battle for power
207. Question Time: Fighting British corruption, Japan's economic conundrum, and a Premier League team in Belfast
206. How to fix the honours system, chaos in the Red Sea, and Taiwan at a crossroads
205. How to combat populism, debating Bill Gates, and David Cameron on the world stage (Part 2)
204. Scotland's pivotal role, the moment everything changed, and whether to serve under Starmer (Part 1)
203. Question Time: How dangerous is Giorgia Meloni?
202. How Labour should fight the election, taking on the British press, and Orbán's future far-right axis
201. Question Time: Could the Tories remove Rishi Sunak?
200. The Israeli settler movement, Ukraine blockaded, and Putin's perpetual power
199. Question Time: Why the infected blood scandal still haunts today’s politics
198. King Charles on the world stage, Argentina's Brexit, and the real Henry Kissinger
197. Question Time: Should Labour be bolder on Brexit?
196. Why are the far-right on the rise?
Introducing... The Rest Is Entertainment
195. Question Time: Is Sunak's Rwanda plan doomed to fail?
194. Autumn statements, Putin's progress, and why advertisers are pulling out of X
193. What makes the Tory right so powerful?
192. What David Cameron’s return means for Israel-Gaza
191. Braverman sacked and Cameron returns
190. Question Time: Should WhatsApp messages stay private?
189. The King's Speech, performative cruelty, and Argentina
188. Question Time: What the Covid Inquiry says about Britain
187. The Left and Israel
186. Question Time: Nigel Farage’s plan to become Tory leader
185. Global perceptions of Israel-Gaza, Labour-Lib Dem bad blood, and Chinese economic crisis
184. Question Time: Why Britain Needs Shorter Prison Sentences
183. Israel-Gaza: What Happens Next
182. Palestine, Gaza, and Israel
181. Israel, invasion, and the trap laid by Hamas
180. Question Time: Is Suella Braverman pretending to be right-wing?
179. Is Keir Starmer ready to be Prime Minister?
178. Israel At War
177. Question Time: A new centrist party, mafia politics in New Jersey, and was Jesus a socialist?
176. Can the Tory Party be saved?
175. Question Time: The Power of Rupert Murdoch
174. Scrapping HS2, ‘Ukraine fatigue’, and 'Vive le Roi!'
173. Question Time: Corbyn's expulsion from Labour, Belgium's sex education crisis, and how would Blair fare as PM today?
172. Liz Truss returns, Putin's Western puppets, and Rory at the United Nations
Politics On the Edge (Extract)
171. Question Time: The return of Liz Truss, Slovakia's answer to Viktor Orbán, and Starmer's popularity waning?
170. Prison escape, a test for Australian democracy, and spooks in Westminster?
169. Question Time: Imagining Labour’s first 100 days in power, Australia’s Indigenous Voice referendum, and compulsory politics in schools
168. Crumbling Britain, a ruthless reshuffle, and Jeremy Corbyn’s ‘beautiful ears’
Introducing... The Rest Is Money
167. Question Time: How to rig an election, Scotland's golden goose, and the least impressive president of all time
166. Vladimir Putin, Narendra Modi, and absolute populist power
165: Question Time: Populism in Portugal, texting David Cameron, and a challenger to Trump?
164. The Trial of Lucy Letby, the domination of the dollar, and politicians vs. lawyers
163. Question Time: Privatisation vs. Nationalisation
162. Small boats, Zimbabwe since Mugabe, and Trump's anti-mafia indictment
161. Question Time: Rebuilding the Tory brand, Macron’s successor, and the militarisation of Mexico
160. White House or jail? The future of Donald J. Trump
159. Question Time: Sweden's Quran-burning crisis, Farage vs. the banks, and what is 'the establishment'?
158. Sunak's net zero culture war, Africa's 'coup belt', and a new strategy for the German far-right
157. Question Time: Knocking over Liz Truss, Oxbridge dominance, and life under the Taliban
156. Labour on the defensive, Machismo in Spain, and Israel on a knife-edge
155. Sunak slides to defeat in Selby and Somerton
154. Question Time: Ben Wallace, intellectual PMs, and the fight for the Israeli flag
153. How radical would Labour be in power?
152. The Power of Prigozhin
151. Question Time: Feargal Sharkey on water pollution, drug legalisation, and fishing
150. Sunak’s path to victory, Trump’s stance on Ukraine, and the future of Palestine
149. Question Time: How to end a civil war, psychedelic treatments, and will the Orkney Islands join Norway?
148. France on fire, Thames Water troubles, and NHS privatisation
147. Question Time: The next global superpower, a royal panic, and Rory on Austerity
146. Putin vs. Prigozhin, the power of Lebedev, and the battle for Southeast Asia
145. Putin under threat as Wagner mutiny
144. Question Time: The War On Drugs, a Tory Green Party, and Long Covid
143. The world looks to Beijing, Putin vs. Africa, and Rory's sliding Brexit doors
142. Is this the end for Boris Johnson?
141. Question Time: Labour greatest hope, what a Trump presidency would mean for Ukraine, and should we ban vaping?
140. Johnson and Sunak at war, Sturgeon's arrest, and the death of Silvio Berlusconi
139. BORIS JOHNSON RESIGNS
138. Question Time: The Bullingdon Club, democracy vs. capitalism, and overcoming foot-and-mouth
137. Government taking itself to court, avoiding war with China, and Polish protests
136. Question Time: Johnson vs. Stewart, protests in Serbia, and are think tanks actually influential?
135. Spanish politics explained and a deep dive into AI
134. Question Time: Solving sewage, building on the Green Belt, and the most intimidating person in politics
133. Suella's speeding, Japan in focus, and what's the point of the G7?
But What Can I Do? (Extract)
132. Question Time: How to reform prisons, Macron vs. Clinton, and what is the Privy Council?
131. Erdoğan fights on, 'Clause IV on steroids', and the fall of military rule
130. Question Time: Bumping into Boris Johnson, the Hong Kong handover, and One-nation Tories vs. Blairites
129. Sunak at a crossroads, weaponising 'woke', and the Wagner Group
128. Local Elections: Who's the real winner?
127. Question Time: Communists in Austria, the collapse of First Republic, and the political power of Ben and Jerry's
126. King Charles III's coronation, the geopolitics of net-zero, and the power of oracy
125. Question Time: Murdoch mayhem, the politics of nepotism, and Alastair Campbell MP?
124. Politicians vs. civil servants, evacuating Sudan, and Diane Abbott
123. DOMINIC RAAB RESIGNS
122. Question Time: Leaking Liz Truss, the funniest person in politics, and ‘Killing Thatcher’
121. Chaos in Sudan, Biden vs. Sunak, and the fall of Braverman?
120. Question Time: Macron and Xi Jinping, the rise of the right, and Tony Blair vs. UFOs
119. Starmer's most controversial move yet, the truth behind Vladimir Putin, and the Good Friday Agreement
118. Question Time: Democracy under threat, rampant sewage, and campaign songs
117. Trump's indictment, Dover delays, and Sanna Marin loses
116. Question Time: Corbyn and Cummings, Cool Britannia, and Ofsted
115. France on fire, fake Korean cash, and a new Scottish nationalism
114. Question Time: Banks in crisis, Imran Khan, and Blair on The Simpsons
113. Iraq: the fallout, Scotland at a crossroads, and ‘sneaky beakies’
112. Iraq: The Legacy
111. The Iraq War
110. Gary Lineker, BBC in crisis, and small boats
109. Question Time: Powerful speeches, population control and Isabel Oakeshott
108. Hancock’s humiliation and the end for Johnson
107. Question Time: Bernie Sanders vs. Michael Foot, Universal Basic Income, and Boris Johnson's NATO ambitions...
106. Sunak’s Windsor win, Labour’s path to victory, and Beijing’s view of Moscow
105. Question Time: Foreign ownership in football, the BBC vs. Modi, and conspiracy theories
104. Ukraine: one year on, the fall of Nicola Sturgeon, and Sunak's biggest gamble
103. Question Time: Expensing helicopters, the North-South divide, and Rory's return to politics?
102. The Secret Brexit Summit, Erdoğan under fire, and the death penalty
101. Question Time: Palestine in 2023, Chat GPT, and what do diplomats actually do?
100. The Revenge of Liz Truss, Earthquakes in Syria and Turkey, and China's 'Red Zeppelin'
99. Question Time: Missing refugees, the best type of MPs, and are universities left wing?
98. 100 days of Sunak, the art of resigning, and Israel-Palestine
97. Question Time: Leaving office, a Labour Scotland, and what's the point of Davos?
96. Johnson's £800k loan, Zahawi's tax trouble, and Russia in Africa
95. Question Time: Combatting Andrew Tate, crisis at the Met, and Johnson standing again
94. Police power, gender recognition, and women in Afghanistan
Leading: Michael Heseltine
93. Question Time: Rishi Sunak's doctor, Rory's Brad Pitt deal, and Iranian regime change?
92. Prince Harry, Brazil's failed coup, and Myanmar’s criminal junta
91. Zelensky's message, Netanyahu's return, and Putin's 'mystery woman'
90. NHS in crisis, the Blair-Brown years, and Mandela on Gaddafi
89. Where will we be in 2023?
88. TRIP Awards 2022 (with a special guest...)
87. Question Time: Drugs in Parliament, the meaning of evil, and Jeremy Clarkson
86. Politics in football, Trump under pressure, and Kosovo
85. Question Time: Harry and Meghan, the National Anthem, and Latin America
84. Britain on strike, hostage swaps, and assisted suicide
83. Question Time: Votes for prisoners, a united Ireland, and the meaning of 'liberal'
82. Keir vs. peers, George W. Bush, and $580k in a sofa...
81. Ex-New Zealand PM Helen Clark on monarchy, extreme poverty, and Jacinda Ardern
80. Question Time: How to become an MP, the art of whipping, and NIMBYs
79. Protests in China, UK strikes, and crypto bros
78. Question Time: Nigel Farage, proportional representation, and mandatory ID cards
77. Qatar, the World Cup, and Sunak vs. Starmer
76. Question Time: Food banks, ageing populations, and 'virtue signalling'
75. Trump vs. DeSantis, Sunak on the world stage, and Iran
74. Question Time: Women in politics, AI advancements, and airports
73. COP, Gavin Williamson, and US midterms
72. Julia Gillard on Rishi Sunak, compulsory voting and that misogyny speech
71. Question Time: Elon Musk, Twitter, and regulating 'Big Tech'
70. Braverman, Brazil, and Hancock in the jungle
69. François Hollande on Putin, Obama, and Brexit
68. Question Time: Battle for the National Trust, getting over Brexit and boycotting Qatar
67. PRIME MINISTER RISHI SUNAK
66. LIZ TRUSS RESIGNS
65. Question Time: Imposter Syndrome, the Commonwealth and fox hunting
64. Hunt U-turn as Truss goes missing
63. TRUSS DOWN, KWARTENG OUT
62. Question Time: Liberal Democrats, Lordships and Labour's return
61. "Detested" Tories, the SNP, and Israel
60. Fear and Loathing in Birmingham
59. Question Time: Biden, barristers and the Black Watch
58. U-turns, Ukraine and election season
57. The Week Everything Changed
56. Question Time: Prison reform, lobbying, and Alastair on Strictly
55. The Kamikwaze budget, Iranian protests, and Italian 'post-fascists'
54. Albanian PM Edi Rama on Putin, Macron, and combating corruption
53. Question Time: Blair-Brown, the Special Relationship, and official apologies
52. The Queen's funeral, United Nations, and fracking
51. Mark Drakeford on Labour success, Tory PMs, and Welsh nationalism
50. Question Time: King Charles III, Scottish accents, and left vs. right
49. Queen Elizabeth II, Ukrainian counter-attacks, and Sweden
48. Question Time: Parents, Austerity, and talking with hands
47. Liz Truss, lido politics, and Chile
46. PRIME MINISTER LIZ TRUSS
45. Question Time: BBC impartiality, books vs. newspapers, and Stewart spoofery
44. Freezing bills, mental health in politics, and Rory's new job
43. Question Time: Margaret Thatcher, Rupert Murdoch, and Mick Lynch
42. Working for Truss, Blackpool with Clinton, and Sewage
Introducing Empire
41. Question Time: Classified documents, Eddie Jones, and A-levels
40. Salman Rushdie, the energy price cap, and Afghanistan
39. Question Time: Clan Campbell vs. Clan Stewart, Tartan Trews, and Lindsay Hoyle
38. Amnesty International, cabinet duels, and fuel poverty
37. Question Time: Scottish Unionism, growth, and cannibalism
36. William Hague on Boris Johnson, Blair, and Brexit
35. Al-Qaeda, Pelosi in Taiwan, and working for Truss
34. Question Time: The last days of Blair and May, carbon footprints, and remaining hopeful
33. Blue on blue, famine in Africa, and David Trimble
32. Question Time: Treating addiction, feminism, and a fear of ketchup
31. Rishi Sunak vs. Liz Truss
30. Keir Starmer on rebuilding Labour, Tory leadership, and Brexit
29. Heatwaves, semiconductors, and Johnson's return?
28. Question Time: Shinzo Abe, Sri Lanka, and 'Big Society'
27. Tory leadership race: contenders and pretenders
26. BORIS JOHNSON RESIGNS
25. British scandals, global recession, and Elvis
24. SPECIAL: SUNAK AND JAVID RESIGN
23. Question Time: Roe v. Wade, military MPs, and Ismail Kadare
22. Tony Blair on the UK's relegation battle
21. Question Time: The Queen's toilet, Carole Cadwalladr, and climate crisis
20. By-elections, strikes, and populists
19. Question Time: Ukraine, Tony Blair, and foreign languages
18. Keir Starmer, Northern Ireland, and disagreeing 'agreeably'
17. Question Time: Austerity, diaries, and impostors
16. Johnson, monarchy, and the West Bank
15. Question Time: Hong Kong handover, human rights, and Tintin
14. Charisma, Portugal, and gun control
13. Rupert Murdoch, Taiwan, and Burnley
12. Food shortages, Francois Hollande, and Shireen Abu Akleh
11. Putin’s blanket, election fallout, and China in Africa
10. Bad politics, local elections, and toxic debates
9. Biggest snakes, Basic Instinct, and meeting Miley
8. Rwanda, Religion and the Return of Trump
7. Partygate fines, political partners, and voting at 15?
6. Globalism, Scottish Nationalism, and Rory's new job
5. Tribal politics, anonymous sources, and Malcolm Tucker
4. Iraq, brave opposition, and powerful Chancellors
3. Zelenskyy's humanity, Lebvedev's parties, and Eton
The Rest Is History: Young Putin, the KGB and the Soviet Union
2. Lying, vanity and friendship in politics