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, engaging discussions on British and global politics. The Rest Is Politics Plus: Join with a FREE TRIAL at therestispolitics.com for exclusive bonus content including Rory and Alastair’s first ever miniseries, early access to episodes and live show tickets, ad free listening, our exclusive newsletter, discount book prices on titles mentioned on the pod, and our members chatroom. For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com.
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Recent Episodes
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Rory Stewart and Alastair Campbell discuss major political donations to Reform UK, the challenges facing young people in today's economy, the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza despite the supposed ceasefire, and FIFA's controversial Peace Prize awarded to Donald Trump. They address criticism from their interview with Green Party co-leader Zach Polanski and economist Gary Stevenson, while examining how AI is transforming the job market and whether current politicians truly understand generational inequality.
- Reform UK's £9 Million Donation and Political Funding
- Young People, Economic Challenges, and the Zach Polanski Fallout
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476. Polanski’s Problem, Westminster’s Russia Blind Spot, and Justice Without Juries? (Question Time)
Dec 04, 2025Summary Preview
Rory Stewart and Alistair Campbell discuss major political issues including their interview with Green Party leader Zach Polanski and debates around Modern Monetary Theory, concerns about Russian influence on UK politics particularly Reform UK, government plans to modify jury trials due to court system backlogs, climate change impacts in Southeast Asia, and Campbell's alleged 'secret plot' to rejoin the customs union. The discussion reveals deep tensions around economic policy, constitutional rights, media coverage, and the state of British democracy.
- The Zach Polanski Interview Controversy and Economic Literacy
- Russian Influence on UK Politics and Reform UK
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Introducing: The Rest Is Science
Dec 02, 2025Summary Preview
In this episode of The Rest Is Science, hosted by Michael Stevens and Professor Hannah Fry, the duo explores the fundamental nature of gravity through both Newtonian and Einsteinian perspectives. They unpack how gravity works as both a force of attraction between masses and as a warping of space-time itself, using accessible analogies and fascinating calculations to illustrate concepts that range from baseballs in space to the aging differences between people at different altitudes. The discussion traces the evolution of gravitational theory from Newton's laws to Einstein's revolutionary insights about space-time curvature.
- The Basics of Gravity: Attraction Between Objects
- The Scale of Gravitational Effects
474. What Does the Budget Mean for You?
Nov 26, 2025Processing failed
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Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart discuss international security threats, multilateral diplomacy, and domestic concerns, including European responses to Trump's Ukraine proposals, the efficacy of G20 and COP summits without US leadership, Russian influence operations in UK politics through the Nathan Gill prosecution, BBC governance challenges, the West Bank's economic collapse, and addiction awareness. They emphasize Europe's need to prepare for America's unreliability as an ally and highlight the media's failure to adequately cover significant security stories.
- Ukraine: European Response to US-Russia Peace Plan
- Multilateral Summits: G20 and COP Without America
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Rory Stewart and Alastair Campbell discuss the official COVID-19 inquiry report, which revealed catastrophic failures in the UK government's pandemic response under Boris Johnson. The report confirms that earlier action could have saved approximately 23,000 lives and potentially avoided lengthy lockdowns. They examine the systemic failures across government, medical establishment, media, and opposition that led to delayed responses, and explore crucial lessons for handling future crises including potential conflicts, AI threats, and future pandemics.
- The Inquiry's Damning Findings on Government Response
- Rory Stewart's Early Warnings and the Cost of Breaking Consensus
470. China vs Japan, the BBC at Breaking Point, and The Future of Satire (Question Time)
Nov 20, 2025Summary Preview
In this wide-ranging episode, Rory Stewart and Alastair Campbell tackle escalating tensions between Japan and China over Taiwan, discuss Chile's political pendulum swing, examine Israel-Palestine developments, debate the BBC's impartiality crisis, and clash over lowering the voting age. They analyze how democracies worldwide are grappling with authoritarianism, fake news, and the rehabilitation of controversial historical figures.
- Japan-China Crisis Over Taiwan
- Chile's Return to Political Extremes
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This episode covers Labour's political struggles in the UK, with dismal polling and leadership questions, before examining asylum reform proposals from Shabana Mahmood. The hosts then explore the rise of Christian nationalism in America and debate whether Trump represents the birth of fascist USA, drawing on their recent live tour where audiences expressed deep concerns about both Labour's direction and global democratic backsliding.
- Labour's Political Crisis and Public Sentiment
- Tax Policy Confusion and Economic Strategy
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This Question Time episode tackles several major issues including an internal Labour Party briefing controversy involving Number 10, the importance of political education for young voters, women's safety in Mexico following an assault on the president, democratic backsliding in Tanzania, climate action and rainforest preservation, and reflections on Dick Cheney's death. The hosts, Rory Stewart and Alistair Campbell, analyze what appears to be strategic missteps by Keir Starmer's team and discuss the challenges facing progressive politics globally.
- Labour Party Internal Crisis and Number 10 Briefing Scandal
- Youth Political Engagement and the Case for Votes at 16
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In this episode, Alistair Campbell and Rory Stewart discuss major political shifts including Zoran Mamdani's historic victory as New York City's mayor, the Czech Republic elections and the populist wave across Central Europe, and the remarkable transformation of Syria's al-Shara from terrorist to Trump ally. The discussion explores how politics is being reshaped by charisma, unconventional leadership, and the breakdown of traditional power structures.
- Zoran Mamdani's Historic New York Victory
- The Populist Wave in Central Europe: Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary
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An emergency episode discussing the sudden resignation of BBC Director General Tim Davie and Head of News Deborah Turness following controversies over a Panorama documentary that misleadingly edited Donald Trump's January 6th speech and allegations about BBC Arabic's coverage of Gaza. The hosts analyze the coordinated right-wing campaign against the BBC, the governance issues at the broadcaster, and what these resignations mean for public service broadcasting in an increasingly polarized media environment.
- Breaking News: BBC Leadership Resignations
- The Right-Wing Campaign Against the BBC