The Rest Is Politics

9 Sep 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 Friedrich Merz survive the fallout? What does an undercover documentary on Reform's fundraising reveal about the men presenting themselves as the movement's moral and intellectual core, and has the law been broken? Is Europe now entering a new era defined by right-wing extremism?

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

7 Sep 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 America's own leaders pave the way for Donald Trump's electoral victories? As Trump's second term reaches its halfway point, is America about to bankrupt itself?

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

516. Trump’s Iran Delusion and the Limits of American Power

Why has opposition to the Iran war been so muted within Trump’s America, and how is the US uniquely insulated from the worst impacts of the war? Do American tech billionaires now pose a serious thre... Continue
The Rest Is Politics

Alastair Campbell’s diary: How Jon Stewart told me the brutal truth about Trump and Hegseth

A tour of top podcasts featured savagings of Brexit – and the man baby in the White House... Continue
The New European

Nineteen Eighty-Four: Big Brother, Surveillance, and Fear (The Book Club)

Why is 1984 as relevant today as when it was published? Who is Big Brother, and why is he so powerful? What was George Orwell's intention when creating the world of 1984, and what does it tell us abou... Continue
The Rest Is Politics

182. Culture Wars, Identity, and What Needs To Change In Congress (Sarah McBride)

How are rights for trans people in the US improving or worsening under the Republican administration? What fundamentally needs to change in Congress to improve the state of politics? Are the Democrats... Continue
Leading

515. Starmer’s Foreign Aid Betrayal, Islamophobia & Australia’s Far Right (Question Time)

Are the UK government’s aid cuts more extreme than those made under austerity and Trump? What can Britain learn from South Australia's landslide against the far-right? Have the Tories & Reform a... Continue
The Rest Is Politics

514. Who Is Profiting from Trump’s Iran Catastrophe?

Are Russia, Israel, and Iran itself the real winners from Trump and Netanyahu’s war? Is Starmer right to resist more British involvement in the war? Will the Gulf states realign with Europe and ‘m... Continue
The Rest Is Politics

Alastair Campbell’s diary: My late friend’s final message: Never work for the Daily Mail

After saying goodbye to old mates, I’ve got a new philosophy: Stay young, no matter how old you are... Continue
The New European

181. Ai Weiwei: China, Censorship, and Dissidence Through Art

Why was Ai Weiwei kidnapped and held prisoner by the Chinese government? How did the 2008 Sichuan earthquake radicalise him into taking aim at the authorities through art? What’s behind Ai Weiwei’... Continue
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