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

28 Sep 2026

208. Mustafa Suleyman: Is AI Actually Conscious?

Can Artificial Intelligence stay subordinate? Is Anthropic’s 100-Page constitution creating dangerous AI autonomy? Should AI models be granted legal personhood, rights, or financial compensation?

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

517. Is Trump Plotting Regime Change in Cuba? (Question Time)

Does Trump already have one eye on regime change in Cuba, as the US faces strategic failure in the Iran war? Who is more dangerous to the world right now, Putin or Netanyahu? Should Starmer be doing m... Continue
The Rest Is Politics

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