471. Rory Stewart: Why the Government Tried to Silence Me on Lockdowns

  • Podcast

  • 21 November 2025

  • Posted by Alastair Campbell

  • 0

Why did Boris Johnson and the British government not only fail to listen, but actively try to suppress early warnings about the pandemic? How did groupthink and optimism bias cripple the UK's response? And is Britain's government structurally too slow to handle future threats like AI and Putin's increasing aggression in Europe?


Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more.

__________


The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. Fuse are giving away free TRIP Plus membership for all of 2025 to new sign ups ? TRIP Plus 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 ⁠fuseenergy.com/politics⁠ ⚡


Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ nordvpn.com/restispolitics It's risk-free with Nord's 30 day money back guarantee ✅

 

To save your company time and money, open a Revolut Business account today via get.revolut.com/z4lF/therestispolitics, and add money to your account by 31st of December 2025 to get a £200 welcome bonus or equivalent in your local currency.

__________


Social Producer: Emma Jackson

Video Editor: Josh Smith

Assistant Producer: Daisy Alston-Horne

Producer: Evan Green, India Dunkley

Senior Producer: Callum Hill

Exec Producer: Tom Whiter

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

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.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

Struggling or Snowflakes? The Gen Z Mental Health Story

Why has there been such an increase in young people diagnosed with mental health problems? Are Gen Z less resilient than older generations, or have they been seriously let down? Has therapy culture go... Continue

21 May 2026

535. The Ebola Outbreak and the British Far-Right’s Next Move

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... Continue

21 May 2026

534. Is Wes Streeting Trying to Sabotage Andy Burnham?

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 ne... Continue

20 May 2026

Alastair Campbell’s diary: I doubted that Burnham had a ruthless streak. Not any more

If I had to put my life on it, I’d guess that he will be PM by Christmas... Continue

20 May 2026

189. Rahm Emanuel: China, Technology, and the Future of the Democratic Party

Will Rahm Emanuel run to be the next President of the United States? What were the underlying policy disagreements regarding West Bank settlements that led to Benjamin Netanyahu publicly attacking Rah... Continue

18 May 2026

533. Andy Burnham’s Big Gamble: Can He Beat Reform?

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,... Continue

15 May 2026

532. The Trump-Xi Showdown and Putin’s Conscription Con

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... Continue

13 May 2026

531. Starmer on the Brink: What Next?

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 cont... Continue

12 May 2026