About The Rest Is Politics
Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart break down current affairs in the UK and abroad. The Rest Is Politics analyses the latest international news, provides debate on global issues, and reveals secrets from Westminster, whilst bringing back the lost art of disagreeing agreeably. With insider perspectives and expert analysis, The Rest Is Politics is the go-to podcast for anyone seeking intelligent...
The Rest Is Politics episodeslatest 50
#570570. Why Trump Acts Like a Russian Asset and Miliband’s West Bank Sanctions
· 52:12
After Trump’s latest betrayal of Ukraine, why does he act like a Russian asset? Has John Healy already missed his moment to be a radical Chancellor, and does Ed Miliband’s move to impose economic sanctions on Israeli...
#569569. Farage’s Foreign Funding Scandal and Germany’s Far-Right Breakthrough
· 55:08
As the Alternative for Germany party secured its best ever election result in Saxony-Anhalt, is the country about to get its first far-right state premier since the Nazi Party, and will Chancellor Friedrich Merz survive...
Becoming Burnham: The Manchester Arena Call, Westminster Plotting, and Keir vs Andy
· 19:08
To hear the full episode, and the whole series, sign up at therestispolitics.com How did Andy Burnham learn about the Manchester Arena bombing? Would he still have tried to become PM had Keir Starmer let him stand in...
#568568. MAGA's Plan to Make Britain Look Broken and Iceland's 'Brexit' Moment
· 56:08
Did Iceland's rejection of EU membership talks repeat the same mistakes as Britain's Remain campaign, and does it hand a dangerous propaganda win to Farage, Putin, and the wider anti-European right? As Russia warns of...
#567567. Who Really Benefits from AI and Will Data Centres Decide the Midterms?
· 1:04:00
Why is the backlash against data centres becoming one of the most combustible issues in US politics? What does an AI system's attempt to cheat, cover its tracks, and break into another company’s website reveal about our...
Becoming Burnham: People Pleasing, The Shadow Years and Losing to Jeremy Corbyn
· 12:22
Who are the political figures that shaped Andy Burnham? How far will the new PM go to be liked? And what impact did losing to Jeremy Corbyn's popularity 'tsunami' have on his career - and confidence? Join Alastair...
#566566. Carney vs. Trump and Alastair’s Advice for Burnham’s First PMQs
· 1:00:18
Why is Mark Carney choosing economic pain over a deal on tariffs with Trump? As Palestinians prepare to vote for the first time in 20 years, why has Mahmoud Abbas decided that now is finally the moment to hold...
#565565. Zelenskyy’s Corruption Problem and Is History Repeating Itself in Germany?
· 57:07
Why did Andy Burnham choose Kyiv, not Washington or Brussels, for his first foreign trip as Prime Minister? Is the tide at home turning against President Zelenskyy, and do fresh corruption scandals pose an existential...
Becoming Burnham: Thatcher, Hillsborough, and the Anger that Shaped Him | Part 1
· 21:22
To hear the full episode and the series as it drops, sign up up at therestispolitics.com Alastair is joined by Andy Burnham’s closest confidant, friend and former colleague, Steve Rotheram – the Metro Mayor of the...
#564564. Burnham’s Media Machine and West Bank Settler Impunity
· 1:01:10
Is Burnham’s Britain’s first ‘TikTok Prime Minister’ and what does that mean for accountability, old-fashioned journalism, and the Westminster lobby? Why are violent Israeli settlers able to act with impunity against...
#563563. Britain’s Afghanistan Shame and the Jason Arday Tragedy
· 1:09:51
Five years after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Taliban takeover, why has not a single Western government marked the anniversary of a war that cost thousands of lives and trillions of dollars? Why has...
Will Climate Action Go Backwards Under Burnham?
· 52:57
Should Andy Burnham deliver a covid style national emergency briefing to inform the public about the climate emergency? How do we foster cross-party consensus on the climate emergency? And, can we balance the need to...
#562562. The Right’s War With Itself and Burnham’s Prisons Challenge
· 1:06:08
With Nigel Farage and Rupert Lowe trading blows, is the British right tearing itself apart, and will Kemi Badenoch destroy the Conservative Party by chasing Reform and Restore voters rather than the centre ground? With...
#561561. How Trump’s Chaos Keeps Splintering the World Order
· 56:52
As a new military alliance between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan the first sign that America's allies no longer trust its guarantees? Why are politicians refusing to admit how fast America is burning through its...
The Truth About Climate Migration – It's More Complicated Than You Think
· 21:02
To hear the whole episode and catch up on the rest of the series, which includes a deep dive into food security, water scarcity and the suppressed national security report, sign up at therestispolitics.com Are people...
#560560. Trump's Hamas Disarmament 'Deal' and Europe's FIFA Boycott
· 1:00:51
As Trump's Board of Peace unveils a plan to disarm Hamas, will the group now give up its weapons and what would this mean for Gaza's future? Amid an escalation of violence on the West Bank and with settlements...
#559559. Who Really Benefits from the Ceuta Migration Crisis?
· 1:03:02
Why did 50,000 people risk their lives in an attempt to cross the Morocco-Spain border? What do the pictures emerging from the enclave of Ceuta reveal about the bigger migration story? Why did right-wing figures across...
Data Centres vs. Drinking Water: What Matters To Us Most?
· 16:24
To hear the full episode, which includes an interview with global water expert, Sandra Postel, sign up at the therestispolitics.com With the government quietly categorising data centres as ‘critical infrastructure’...
#558558. The 'Cockroach' Uprising and Should We Stop Data Centres?
· 58:29
Is Modi's power finally cracking as the Cockroach Janta Party's mass protests force a minister to resign for the first time in over a decade? Does the new US-Saudi uranium deal risk triggering a fresh wave of nuclear...
#557557. Can Burnham Deliver Britain's Biggest Change in Generations?
· 56:39
Can Andy Burnham, in a single term or less, fix problems like social care that are generations in the making? Is his new push for vocational education a long-overdue fix for Britain's broken skills system, or a betrayal...
Britain's Ticking Time Bomb: The Food Security Crisis
· 16:13
Could the UK be facing empty supermarket shelves by 2030? Are food distribution centres sitting ducks for drone warfare? And how has Britain got to a place where is has just 3 days to 3 weeks worth of food supplies?...
#556556. The US-China AI Arms Race and Badenoch vs. Rory’s Centrism
· 1:01:24
Is China quietly outsmarting the US in the AI arms race, and is Trump laying the pitch to challenge the results of the US midterms with his repeated, unfounded claims of Chinese election meddling? Why has Zelenskyy...
#555555. Burnham’s Cabinet Purge and the Rough Sleeping Pledge
· 57:23
What does Andy Burnham’s purge of Starmer loyalists from the top of government tell us about how the new British prime minister will govern the UK? Why did Ed Miliband drop his ten-year Energy Security and Net Zero...
The Secret Security Threat The Government Don’t Want Us To Know
· 18:33
Why did the government suppress a report written by senior intelligence officials which named climate and nature collapse as a national security threat? How could ecosystem collapse lead to empty super market shelves...
#554554. Burnham’s Worldview, Trump's Ceasefire Collapse, and Advising Count Binface
· 59:09
Can Andy Burnham's 'Makerfield test' survive contact with a world of Trump, China, and a raging Iran crisis? Why did every one of Netanyahu's promises to Trump about the war with Iran - from destroying the ballistic...
#553553. Farage in Meltdown and The Killing of Ann Widdecombe
· 1:04:04
Has Nigel Farage finally hit his tipping point, and could Count Binface deliver the ultimate humiliation in Clacton? Why are police warning against speculation over the killing of Ann Widdecombe, and is Reform trying to...
#552552. Trump's Red Card Saga and Germany's Far-Right Machine
· 1:01:22
What does Trump's shocking red card intervention reveal about how he wields power? Why doesn't his corruption seem to hurt him politically, despite adding $2.2 billion to his wealth in a single year in office, while so...
#551551. Will Farage’s Trumpian Resignation Stunt Backfire?
· 47:49
Is Farage's shock by-election gamble a Trumpian trick to bury the scandal over his finances? Why has the Murdoch press finally turned on Britain's most protected politician? Can Andy Burnham beat the media machine that...
#550550. Will Farage's Extreme Wealth Be His Downfall?
· 51:17
How has Farage become the highest earning MP, while still claiming to be “for the everyday Briton”? Has Farage become part of the establishment? And how much more is there to discover about Farage’s £5 million "gift"?...
#549549. Mamdani’s Wrecking Ball and the Rise of Anti-Migrant Vigilantes
· 45:08
Is Zohran Mamdani becoming much more than a mayor and effectively running a shadow presidential campaign through the candidates he's backing? How significant is Australia’s new centrist party and could something similar...
#548548. Burnham vs. Westminster and Trump’s Next Target
· 54:21
Will Andy Burnham’s plan for a ‘Number 10 North’ actually work in practice? What does Rory make of Burnham’s growth strategy? Who is Donald Trump’s next target in Latin America? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all...
#547547. The Truth About Russian Oil, Net Zero, and North Sea Drilling
· 59:45
With the UK and Europe sweltering in yet another record-breaking heatwave, will we ever actually reach net zero? How close are we to a “lights out” scenario due to the Iran war, and how did we become so dependent on...
#546546. Keir Starmer Resigns: What Happens Next?
· 1:06:24
What does Keir’s Starmer’s exit as Prime Minister and leader of the Labour party mean for the UK? After his thumping victory against Reform UK last week, will Andy Burnham face a contest or a coronation on his path to...
#545545. Burnham Beats Reform: Britain’s Next Prime Minister?
· 43:43
Has Andy Burnham’s huge victory against Reform in Makerfield shown the Labour Party how it can beat Farage? What does this defeat mean for the right, and how tricky will the coming months be for Andy Burnham? What does...
#544544. How Trump Is Weaponising AI and Martial Arts at the White House
· 49:24
Has Britain become a “vassal” state, dangerously dependent on the US for our most vital national security capabilities? What does Trump’s martial arts birthday event on the White House lawn tell us about the...
#543543. The Disaster Britain Still Can't Escape and Trump’s Iran ‘Deal’
· 53:04
What is the true cost of Brexit? How have British and European far-right politics evolved since the historic Brexit referendum, and can liberal democracy survive it? Is it possible to see Trump’s Iran ‘deal’ as anything...
#542542. Starmer Loses His Defence Secretary: What Next?
· 39:29
What does John Healey's shock resignation mean for Keir Starmer, whose position is already on the line ahead of Andy Burnham's crunch by-election in Makerfield? Who might replace Healey in one of the most important jobs...
#541541. Trump’s World Cup Mess and Kushner’s Albania Deal
· 46:02
As the Trump administration blocks a referee from entering the US, is this the most political world cup of all time, and just how messy will it get? Can the Democrats flip the Senate, and would it actually stop Trump?...
#540540. The Untold Iran Crisis, Henry Nowak, and Farage’s Politics of Rage
· 1:05:30
As Trump’s Iran disaster continues, are we facing a full-blown energy and economic crisis in the UK and beyond? Why are politicians refusing to be honest about the real cost of the Iran crisis? What does the far-right’s...
#539539. Embezzlement, the Mandelson Texts, and Hasan Piker's UK Ban
· 58:57
What does the SNP embezzlement case reveal about how scandal-ridden British politics is? Is the banning of prominent left-wing American commentators Hasan Piker and Cenk Uygur a sensible decision or a serious threat to...
#538538. The Pope’s AI Warning and Alastair Reacts to Blair’s Attack
· 1:04:56
Is Pope Leo’s encyclical the most important contribution to the AI debate so far, and is he doing more to hold Silicon Valley to account than any Western government? What did Alastair say to Tony Blair about his...
#1Who Funds Reform? The Missing Millions
· 32:25
Who is the secretive billionaire bankrolling Reform — and what does he want? How did a brand new party raise and spend £17 million with no public explanation? As Farage inches toward power, who's really pulling the...
#537537. Indicting Trump, Israeli Prisons, and Rory vs. Ed Miliband
· 49:29
What connects Trump’s Cuba blockade and Ben Gvir’s abuse of flotilla activists? As Richard Tice denies climate change science, will reality catch up with Reform UK – and what is Rory’s issue with Ed Miliband’s approach...
#536536. Is Trump’s Corruption Machine Reaching New Extremes?
· 59:39
Has the scale of Donald J. Trump’s corruption become too big to prosecute? Is the US Constitution now a roadmap to tyranny instead of a protection against it? Why do 72% of Gen Z think things will only get worse, and...
Struggling or Snowflakes? The Gen Z Mental Health Story
· 23:17
What's behind the rise in young people being diagnosed with mental health problems? Are members of Gen Z less resilient than older generations? Or are they a product of a society that has failed them? Has therapy...
#535535. The Ebola Outbreak and the British Far-Right’s Next Move
· 43:01
Are Xi and Putin playing Trump? How serious is the new Ebola outbreak, especially after Trump's and Britain's severe cuts to international aid? With Tommy Robinson explicitly telling his supporters to support Reform UK...
#534534. Is Wes Streeting Trying to Sabotage Andy Burnham?
· 49:32
By re-igniting the Brexit debate, is Wes Streeting deliberately trying to sabotage Andy Burnham's chances in a Leave-voting area, or is he forcing Labour to finally confront reality? Does Hungary's new leader Magyar...
#533533. Andy Burnham's Big Gamble: Can He Beat Reform?
· 30:04
What is Alastair’s plea to Labour politicians, after this week’s turmoil? After Wes Streeting’s resignation from the cabinet, will he still run against the ‘King of the North’, Andy Burnham, and how bruising would a...
#532532. The Trump-Xi Showdown and Putin’s Conscription Con
· 57:35
As Trump becomes the first American president to visit China in nearly a decade, will the summit bring any positive developments, or will it further deepen global disorder? Will Trump sacrifice Taiwan's security to gain...
#531531. Starmer on the Brink: What Next?
· 1:05:51
As Starmer’s cabinet begin turning against him, how long can he cling on to power? By challenging Starmer without a clear plan for what comes next, are Labour MPs unleashing a chaos they cannot control? As Wales and...
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The most recent episode is "570. Why Trump Acts Like a Russian Asset and Miliband’s West Bank Sanctions", published on 9 Sep 2026. New episodes appear here as soon as they go out on the programme's feed.
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