128. Whips, Chaos, and secrets from Westminster (Simon Hart)

  • Leading

  • 7 April 2025

  • Posted by Alastair Campbell

  • 0

Why do the wrong people become MPs? How can we transform Westminster into a modern day workplace? How did Simon Hart’s time at The Countryside Alliance inform his politics? 


Rory and Alastair are joined by the ex-Tory Chief Whip, Simon Hart, to discuss all this and more. 


Just head to therestispolitics.com to sign up, or start a free trial today on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/therestispolitics.


Instagram:

@restispolitics 

Twitter:

@RestIsPolitics 

Email:

restispolitics@gmail.com


Video Editor: Josh Smith 

Assistant Producer: Alice Horrell

Producer: Nicole Maslen

Senior Producer: Dom Johnson

Head of Content: Tom Whiter

Exec Producers: Tony Pastor + Jack Davenport

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Alastair Campbell and Mishal Husain with the book Persevilience, The New World

Oct

22

2026

Alastair Campbell and Mishal Husain live at Cadogan Hall

He’s invented a word. He says it’s the word the world needs now. She’s going to make him explain why. Alastair joins acclaimed broadcaster Mishal Husain on stage to discuss his new book, Per... Continue

578. Alastair and Michael Gove Disagree Agreeably on Brexit and Israel

Will there be another EU referendum, despite Andy Burnham promising not to re-run old Brexit arguments? Will Michael Gove ever criticise Israel's actions in Palestine, and if not, why not? What do the... Continue

8 October 2026

577. Is Badenoch Finally Stopping Farage and Why Are French Schools on Fire?

With Reform bogged down in scandal, and Kemi Badenoch setting out her political vision at Conservative Party conference, have the Tories finally wrestled momentum on the right of British politics away... Continue

7 October 2026

501 cover for web

Alastair Campbell’s diary: The door that leads back to the EU is finally open. Now let’s walk through it

How fitting that new talk of joining again coincided with the 500th issue of The New World, originally founded to oppose Brexit... Continue

6 October 2026

209. Shabana Mahmood: Palestine Action, Faith and What I Told Starmer

Is the government's ban on Palestine Action lawful, or overreaching? Why can't Britain just send small boats straight back to France? Can faith and public duty coexist in modern British politics? Ro... Continue

5 October 2026

576. How Xi is Outplaying Trump and Tensions in Northern Ireland

As Trump becomes the first American president to personally welcome a visiting head of state off a plane since JFK greeted Harold Macmillan in 1962, did his summit with President Xi signal improving U... Continue

1 October 2026

575. Alastair Reacts to Burnham’s Speech and Rory’s Viral Stare

Will scrapping the triple lock be electorally perilous for Burnham, or can his vision of a national care service convince the public and his party that it’s time for pension reform? Did being Mayor ... Continue

29 September 2026

500 campbell farage

Alastair Campbell’s diary: Why is Farage so keen to protect Russia’s right to lie and cheat?

Reform's leader is protesting too much as he wails about free speech in the face of Putin’s disinformation... Continue

29 September 2026