Becoming Burnham: Thatcher, Hillsborough, and the Anger that Shaped Him | Part 1

  • The Rest Is Politics

  • 20 August 2026

  • Posted by Alastair Campbell

  • 2

To hear the full episode and the series as it drops, sign up up at therestispolitics.com


Alastair is joined by Andy Burnham’s closets confident, friend and former colleague, Steve Rotheram – the Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region to discuss… 


Who really is Andy Burnham, and how is he going to change Britain? How have events like Hillsborough, and Thatcher’s Northern neglect shaped him? And, how does he contend with his imposter syndrome, his ‘Catholic guilt complex’, and his restless desire to be liked?


Producer: India Dunkley

Video Editor: Josh Smith

Social Producer: Celine Charles

Executive Producer: Emily Kent Smith

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

2 responses to “Becoming Burnham: Thatcher, Hillsborough, and the Anger that Shaped Him | Part 1”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.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

570. Why Trump Acts Like a Russian Asset and Miliband’s West Bank Sanctions

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 ... Continue

10 September 2026

569. Farage’s Foreign Funding Scandal and Germany’s Far-Right Breakthrough

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 Fri... Continue

9 September 2026

497 campbell books

Alastair Campbell’s diary: Books are the key to understanding the world. That’s why Putin wants to burn them

Putin wants an all-out attack on Ukraine's culture - and on the things that make life bearable in horrific times... Continue

9 September 2026

205. Anthony Scaramucci: Why America Keeps Making the Same Mistakes

Why does Anthony Scaramucci think Osama bin Laden is “winning”, and what has the War on Terror really cost America? From letting China into the WTO to bailing out the banks in 2008, how did Americ... Continue

7 September 2026

Becoming Burnham: The Manchester Arena Call, Westminster Plotting, and Keir vs Andy

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... Continue

3 September 2026

568. MAGA’s Plan to Make Britain Look Broken and Iceland’s ‘Brexit’ Moment

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? A... Continue

3 September 2026

567. Who Really Benefits from AI and Will Data Centres Decide the Midterms?

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 web... Continue

2 September 2026

Alastair Campbell’s diary: Trump says Europe is broken. My nine-country journey showed how idiotic he is

Football, lakes, trees, plus plenty of work – that’s my idea of a great holiday... Continue

2 September 2026