Leading

Every Monday, Rory and Alastair interrogate, converse with, and interview some of the world’s biggest names – from both inside and outside of politics – about life, leadership, or leading the way in their chosen field.

150. Nicola Sturgeon: What Really Happened In The Scottish Referendum (Part 2)

How did the media and Westminster impact the Scottish Referendum? Why are spin rooms "utterly pointless" in Nicola's view? Is misogyny in politics as bad as it used to be, or getting worse du... Continue

25 August 2025

149. Nicola Sturgeon: On Margaret Thatcher, Alex Salmond, and the Push for Independence (Part 1)

What is the difference between class distinctions in Scotland and the rest of the UK? How did Nicola Sturgeon's childhood in Scotland inform her politics? What was Margaret Thatcher's influen... Continue

18 August 2025

148. The President of Guyana: The Fastest Growing Economy in the World (Irfaan Ali)

How does Guyana balance its unprecedented economic growth, largely due to oil discoveries, with environmental sustainability? How does Guyana perceive and address the historical scar left by... Continue

15 August 2025

147. I Thought It Was a Prank – Then I Was Chancellor: Jeremy Hunt (Part 2)

What was it like to be handed the reins to the economy following the Liz Truss mini-budget collapse? How did Jeremy Hunt feel fighting an election that he knew the Conservatives would lose? H... Continue

11 August 2025

146. The Rise and Fall of The Conservative Party: Jeremy Hunt (Part 1)

How did Jeremy Hunt lose the Conservative leadership race to Boris Johnson? What does the longest serving Health Minister think will fix the NHS? What does Jeremy Hunt really think of Kemi ... Continue

4 August 2025

145. Gary Stevenson: Masculinity, Money, and the Myth of Meritocracy (Part 2)

How did Gary become a multimillionaire by the age of 25? How big a difference can a wealth tax make on regular people's lives? Have centrist politics failed on the economy? Rory and Alastair... Continue

28 July 2025

144. Gary Stevenson: From Teenage Drug Dealer to Millionaire Trader (Part 1)

How did Gary Stevenson go from being expelled for drug dealing, to one of the most successful traders in London? How does class and privilege play into the world of finance in the UK? What... Continue

21 July 2025

143. Iraq, Trump, and America’s Slide to Authoritarianism (Congressman Seth Moulton)

How did Congressman Moulton keep fighting the Iraq war when he thought it was a mistake? Is there anyone who can stop Trump, or is he an absolute monarch? Have substandard politicians used mi... Continue

14 July 2025

Alastair Campbell is a writer, communicator and strategist best known for his role as former British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s spokesman, press secretary and director of communications and strategy. Still active in politics and campaigns in Britain and overseas, he now splits his time between writing, speaking, broadcasting, charities and consultancy.