The Rest Is Politics

1 Oct 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 US-China relations, or does Xi have his counterpart in an economic chokehold? With the standoff between protesters and members of the pro-British Protestant Orange Order in Northern Ireland showing no sign of resolution, is the region's fragile peace in danger of unravelling? And as violence erupts in Ethiopia, is Africa's second most populous country on the brink of civil war – and does it risk dragging other regional actors into a wider conflict spanning the Horn of Africa and the Gulf?

Two men who’ve been at the heart of the political world – former Downing Street Director of Communications and Strategy Alastair Campbell and cabinet minister Rory Stewart – join forces from across the political divide.

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Leading

5 Oct 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?

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.

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Latest

152. The Power of Prigozhin

From a Siberian penal colony to the gold mines of the Central African Republic, who is Yevgeny Prigozhin and how did he become one of the most famous men in Russia today?Following Wagner's ... Continue
The Rest Is Politics

27: Feargal Sharkey: Teenage Kicks, Bobby Sands, and saving our rivers

Can we reverse the damage done to our polluted rivers and seas? What was it like to write Teenage Kicks? How has Brexit hamstrung the music industry?From punk singer to political activist, Fe... Continue
Leading

151. Question Time: Feargal Sharkey on water pollution, drug legalisation, and fishing

Is it too late to save our rivers? How should the government approach drug testing at festivals? Which political journalists were in attendance at George Osborne's wedding?Singer, environment... Continue
The Rest Is Politics

150. Sunak’s path to victory, Trump’s stance on Ukraine, and the future of Palestine

Is there any way that Sunak can win the next election? Would a second Trump presidency decisively change the course of the Ukraine conflict? What's the future of Palestine in the face of Neta... Continue
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Alastair Campbell’s Diary: The NHS deserves better than this Tory government

As Labour left office in 2010, the NHS had the highest satisfaction ratings in its history. Today, ratings and morale could barely be lower... Continue
The New European

26: Francis Fukuyama: Trump, Modi, and ‘The End of History’

What was the worst political mistake in modern history? How do religious Republicans bring themselves to support Trump? Was it wrong to describe the fall of the Soviet Union as ‘The End of ... Continue
Leading

Mental health seemed to have been largely forgotten again in all the NHS celebrations. Time to refight a fight we thought was being won

So on the 75th anniversary of the founding of the NHS, what better way to spend it than by being part of a graduation ceremony in which several hundred medical students won the right to put the lette... Continue
Event

149. Question Time: How to end a civil war, psychedelic treatments, and will the Orkney Islands join Norway?

Why are the Orkney islands looking to explore options around joining Norway? Are psychedelics the future of mental health treatment? Does the path to a Labour majority include winning over Na... Continue
The Rest Is Politics