The Rest Is Politics - podcast cover

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. Social Producer: Celine Charles Lead Video Editor: Josh Smith Assistant Producer: Daisy Alston-Horne Producer: Evan Green Exec Producer: Chris Sawyer General Manager: Tom Whiter
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Episodes

383. Question Time: Farage vs. Reform, is Labour still socialist, and how to ‘out-Trump’ Trump

What’s going on inside Reform UK? Should Europe expel Hungary from the EU? Is there anything socialist left about Labour? Join Alastair and Rory as they answer all of this and more. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. Fuse are giving away FREE TRIP+ membership for all of 2025 to new sign ups 🎉 TRIP+ gets you ad-free listening, discounts, and early access to episodes and pre-sale tickets for live shows! To sign up and for terms and conditions, visit GetFuse.com/Politics ⚡ The Rest Is...

Mar 13, 202555 minEp. 383

382. Revenge on the West: Putin and Xi’s Plan For Trump

Why does the West obsess over Trump but ignore China’s long game? How are Xi and Putin playing America’s chaos for their own ends? Is the Al-Sharaa social media firestorm a warning for Western democracies? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. Fuse are giving away FREE TRIP+ membership for all of 2025 to new sign ups 🎉 TRIP+ gets you ad-free listening, discounts, and early access to episodes and pre-sale tickets for l...

Mar 12, 202559 minEp. 382

381. Question Time: Starmer’s Dilemma

Is Labour so focused on the red wall and Reform that they risk losing people at the other end of the spectrum? What has happened with the documentary, ‘Gaza: How to Survive a War'? And could Rory and Alastair treated al-Sharaa more sternly? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. Fuse are giving away FREE TRIP+ membership for all of 2025 to new sign ups 🎉 TRIP+ gets you ad-free listening, discounts, and early access to ...

Mar 07, 202551 minEp. 381

380. JD Vance vs. the UK

How much damage has JD Vance done to US-UK relations? If not the UK, which country was he referring to as "some random country"? How can we stop playing Trump’s game? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. Fuse are giving away FREE TRIP+ membership for all of 2025 to new sign ups 🎉 TRIP+ gets you ad-free listening, discounts, and early access to episodes and pre-sale tickets for live shows! To sign up and for terms and...

Mar 06, 202548 minEp. 380

379. The Four Outcomes For Ukraine

Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart discuss the implications of the US pausing military aid to Ukraine and Trump's potential policies, exploring possible scenarios for the conflict. They analyze the impact on Europe, potential security guarantees, and the political landscapes in Canada and Australia, focusing on the rise of populism and the influence of Trump-like figures.

Mar 05, 20251 hr 3 minEp. 379

378. TRUMP VS. ZELENSKY: OVAL OFFICE SHOWDOWN

What does Trump’s dramatic outburst at Zelensky mean for Ukraine and the world? Was this an orchestrated ambush by JD Vance and Trump? Should King Charles withdraw his Trump state visit invitation? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. Fuse are giving away FREE TRIP+ membership for all of 2025 to new sign ups 🎉 TRIP+ gets you ad-free listening, discounts, and early access to episodes and pre-sale tickets for live show...

Feb 28, 202553 minEp. 378

377. Question Time: How will Europe defend itself?

Should the UK impose a ‘War Levy’ on VAT to raise immediate funds for defence? How much independence does Starmer have over the nuclear arsenal? And, what happened to the funds intended for Ukraine support raised by the sale of Chelsea football club? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. Fuse are giving away FREE TRIP+ membership for all of 2025 to new sign ups 🎉 TRIP+ gets you ad-free listening, discounts, and early ...

Feb 28, 202551 minEp. 377

376. Aid vs Defence: A Livestream Special

Sir Keir Starmer has unveiled plans to increase defence spending by 2027 - redirecting funds from foreign aid. What does this mean for the UK and its global role? Join Rory and Alastair as they discuss this and more. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. Fuse are giving away FREE TRIP+ membership for all of 2025 to new sign ups 🎉 TRIP+ gets you ad-free listening, discounts, and early access to episodes and pre-sale tickets for live shows! To sign up and for terms and conditions, visit...

Feb 26, 202535 minEp. 376

375. Germany's Fight Against the Far Right

Has Trump already become a strategic adversary to Europe? Will Starmer’s White House visit be his ‘Love Actually’ moment? How can Europe actually become independent from the US? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. Fuse are giving away FREE TRIP+ membership for all of 2025 to new sign ups 🎉 TRIP+ gets you ad-free listening, discounts, and early access to episodes and pre-sale tickets for live shows! To sign up and fo...

Feb 26, 202556 minEp. 375

374. Question Time: Why The US Needs A Leader Of The Opposition

How dangerous is Europe's exclusion from Ukraine peace talks? Is there anything to be learnt from the USAID cuts? And what are Rory and Alastair's guilty pleasures? Join Alastair and Rory as they answer all of these questions and more. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. Fuse are giving away FREE TRIP+ membership for all of 2025 to new sign ups 🎉 TRIP+ gets you ad-free listening, discounts, and early access to episodes and pre-sale tickets for live shows! To sign up and for terms an...

Feb 20, 202545 minEp. 374

373. Europe vs. America: Crisis in the West

What can Europe do to protect itself against the Trump administration? Will Germany’s historic anti-far right ‘firewall’ collapse? Will Ukraine become a Russian satellite state? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. Fuse are giving away FREE TRIP+ membership for all of 2025 to new sign ups 🎉 TRIP+ gets you ad-free listening, discounts, and early access to episodes and pre-sale tickets for live shows! To sign up and fo...

Feb 19, 202558 minEp. 373

372. Syria, al-Sharaa, and the future of the Middle East

What does al-Sharaa's rise to power mean for Syria? Given his surprise takeover, how will today’s CIA analysts be changing the way they think about the country and what happens next? Will Syria be the next Libya? Join Rory and Alastair as they discuss Syria’s rapidly shifting political landscape with former CIA analyst and The Rest Is Classified co-host David McCloskey, who spent almost a decade covering Syria from Langley and Damascus, both before and during the Syrian civil war. The Rest Is Po...

Feb 15, 20251 hr 7 minEp. 372

371. Question Time: Buying Gaza, Macron’s AI Stunt, and Europe on a Knife’s Edge

How does Trump’s controversial plan impact Middle Eastern relations? Can President Macron combat AI deep fakes in France? How does Canada plan to fight a trade war with the US? Join Alastair and Rory as they answer all of these questions and more. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. Fuse are giving away FREE TRIP+ membership for all of 2025 to new sign ups 🎉 TRIP+ gets you ad-free listening, discounts, and early access to episodes and pre-sale tickets for live shows! To sign up and ...

Feb 13, 202537 minEp. 371

370. Starmer’s Silver Bullet and Trump’s War on the Poor

Will Musk’s Washington power grab increase global poverty? Has Keir Starmer lost control of his cabinet? Is now the perfect moment for Britain to join the customs union? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. Fuse are giving away FREE TRIP+ membership for all of 2025 to new sign ups 🎉 TRIP+ gets you ad-free listening, discounts, and early access to episodes and pre-sale tickets for live shows! To sign up and for terms ...

Feb 12, 20251 hr 2 minEp. 370

369. Question Time: China’s DeepSeek, Ambassador Mandelson, and misogyny in politics

What’s the danger of China’s DeepSeek? Why are male and female politicians still treated differently? Are politicians right to appease leaders they don’t agree with? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. Stream brand-new drama Brian and Maggie now on Channel 4. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. Fuse are giving away FREE TRIP+ membership for all of 2025 to new sign ups 🎉 TRIP+ gets you ad-free listening, discounts, and early access to episodes and pre-...

Feb 07, 202546 minEp. 369

368. Trump's Plan for Gaza

What exactly does Trump mean by "taking over" Gaza? How have others reacted to Trump's proposals? How serious is he? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more in an emergency livestream, recorded on Wednesday 5th February 2025. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. Fuse are giving away FREE TRIP+ membership for all of 2025 to new sign ups 🎉 TRIP+ gets you ad-free listening, discounts, and early access to episodes and pre-sale tickets for live shows! To sign up...

Feb 06, 20251 hr 1 minEp. 368

367. Rory vs JD Vance, recording from Damascus, and Trump’s tariffs

Why are Rory and Alastair in Damascus? What’s going on with JD Vance? Has there been a twist in the German election? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. Fuse are giving away FREE TRIP+ membership for all of 2025 to new sign ups 🎉 TRIP+ gets you ad-free listening, discounts, and early access to episodes and pre-sale tickets for live shows! To sign up and for terms and conditions, visit GetFuse.com/Politics ⚡ Get our ...

Feb 05, 20251 hr 6 minEp. 367

366. Question Time: Why do dictators bother with sham elections?

What stops billionaires spending their money in their lifetime? How can you stay engaged with politics without sacrificing mental health? Who are the hidden actors in the Israel/Gaza conflict? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. Stream brand-new drama Brian and Maggie now on Channel 4. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy, a green electricity supplier powering homes across England, Scotland & Wales. Use referral code POLITICS after signing up for you...

Jan 30, 202551 minEp. 366

365. Trump's Mafia World Order

How many ‘early warning signs of fascism’ are we seeing in the US? Has Trump delivered a fatal blow to America’s soft power around the world? Why does Alastair admire Prince Harry and his battle with the tabloids? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy, a green electricity supplier powering homes across England, Scotland & Wales. Use referral code POLITICS after signing up for your chance to win a TRIP merch bundle. ...

Jan 29, 202553 minEp. 365

364. Question Time: America’s waning power, Alastair vs. Meta, and the existential threat of depopulation

Musk, Zuckerberg, and Trump – who’s controlling who? Does populist isolationism actually make a country weaker? Could Farage actually be Prime Minister by 2029? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy, a green electricity supplier powering homes across England, Scotland & Wales. Use referral code POLITICS after signing up for your chance to win a TRIP merch bundle. Learn more at GetFuse.com/Politics EXCLUSIVE NordVPN ...

Jan 23, 202538 minEp. 364

363. The Return of Donald J. Trump

What did the inauguration tell us about how extreme Trump 2.0 is going to be? What is Netanyahu’s endgame for Gaza – peace or perpetual war? Why has Starmer launched an inquiry into the Southport attacks? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy, a green electricity supplier powering homes across England, Scotland & Wales. Use referral code POLITICS after signing up for your chance to win a TRIP merch bundle. Learn mor...

Jan 22, 20251 hr 1 minEp. 363

362. Question Time: Labour’s education error and Blair’s mistake on mental health

Why are students protesting in Serbia? Is Labour right to scrap financial support for Latin in state schools? What does Alastair think about Tony Blair’s comments on mental health? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more in today's Question Time. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy, a green electricity supplier powering homes across England, Scotland & Wales. Use referral code POLITICS after signing up for your chance to win a TRIP merch bundle. Learn mo...

Jan 16, 202545 minEp. 362

361. Gaza, Israel, and Ceasefire

How can Gaza be rebuilt after any ceasefire is agreed? What are the ‘six deadly sins’ of the liberal centre? What should we make of Starmer’s AI action plan for Britain? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. Peter Hyman's New European article discussed in the episode can be found here! The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy, a green electricity supplier powering homes across England, Scotland & Wales. Use referral code POLITICS after signing up for your ...

Jan 15, 20251 hr 1 minEp. 361

360. Question Time: Assad’s People - Syria, Torture, and Justice

Are the media ignoring what’s happening in Gaza? Should the UK be boycotting the cricket in Afghanistan? And, how worried should we be about democratic backsliding in Georgia and Venezuela? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more in today's Question Time. TRIP Plus: Become a member of The Rest Is Politics Plus to support the podcast, receive our exclusive newsletter, enjoy ad-free listening to both TRIP and Leading, benefit from discount book prices on titles mentioned...

Jan 09, 202541 minEp. 360

359. Starmer vs. Musk: Why the richest man in the world turned against the Prime Minister

What's behind Musk's spiral into the far right? Is Robert Jenrick veering into Enoch Powell territory? Is Austria on the precipice of a new form of fascism? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy, a green electricity supplier powering homes across England, Scotland & Wales. Use referral code POLITICS after sign up for a chance to win a TRIP merch bundle. Learn more at getfuse.com/politics ⚡ TRIP Plus: Become a member...

Jan 08, 20251 hrEp. 359

358. Question Time: Political translators, Boris Johnson, and politicians to watch in 2025

What are Rory and Alastair's funny translation stories? Could Boris Johnson ever have a comeback? And are there any politicians to watch out for in 2025? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more in today's Question Time. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy, a green electricity supplier powering homes across England, Scotland & Wales. Use referral code POLITICS after signing up for your chance to win a TRIP merch bundle. Learn more at GetFuse.com/Politics ...

Jan 02, 202537 minEp. 346

357. Political New Year's resolutions, Elon Musk, and what happens next in Taiwan?

What should Labour’s new year resolution be? How worried should we be about Elon Musk? Could China move on Taiwan in 2025? Join Rory and Alastair in this New Year's Day special episode to hear them answer all these questions and more. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy, a green electricity supplier powering homes across England, Scotland & Wales. Use referral code POLITICS after signing up for your chance to win a TRIP merch bundle. Learn more at GetFuse.com/Politics ⚡ 🌏 Get our...

Jan 01, 202556 minEp. 357

356. Georgia, Russia, and the fight for democracy - An interview with the President of Georgia

Will Georgia’s President accept the inauguration of her successor on the 29th of December? If she does, will Georgia be handed over to Russia? Is there a way back to Europe for the country? In this live interview, Rory and Alastair speak with Salome Zourabichvili to ask all of this and more. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy, a green electricity supplier powering homes across England, Scotland & Wales. Use referral code POLITICS after signing up for your chance to win a TRIP mer...

Dec 27, 202449 minEp. 356

355. How to start a campaign, Gisele Pelicot, and the biggest surprise of 2024

Why has the environment fallen off the political agenda? What events caught geopolitical experts off guard in 2024? And, what advice would Alastair give to anyone looking to start their own campaign? Join Rory and Alastair as they discuss all this, and more. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy, a green electricity supplier powering homes across England, Scotland & Wales. Use referral code POLITICS after signing up for your chance to win a TRIP merch bundle. Learn more at GetFuse.c...

Dec 26, 202445 minEp. 355

354. Nigel Farage, dad-dancing populists, and the worst politician of the year

Who was the worst politician of the year? What was the biggest political moment of 2024? What was the most under-discussed moment of the year? Join Rory and Alastair as they discuss all this, and more. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy, a green electricity supplier powering homes across England, Scotland & Wales. Use referral code POLITICS after signing up for your chance to win a TRIP merch bundle. Learn more at GetFuse.com/Politics ⚡ Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ nordv...

Dec 25, 202438 minEp. 354
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