The Rest Is Politics

14 Aug 2026

Will Climate Action Go Backwards Under Burnham?

Should Andy Burnham deliver a covid style national emergency briefing to inform the public about the climate emergency? How do we foster cross-party consensus on the climate emergency? And, can we balance the need to build data centres and protect the environment? 

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.

Leading

17 Aug 2026

202. Is Peace in the Middle East Closer Than We Think? (A Palestinian & An Israeli’s View)

How do an Israeli who lost his parents on October 7th and a Palestinian whose brother died after torture in Israeli prisons come together to reject revenge and build a brotherhood for peace? Why do they believe lasting peace between Israel and Palestine could be just "two to four weeks away"? What can Britain do to help end a conflict it helped create?

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.

Latest

560. Trump’s Hamas Disarmament ‘Deal’ and Europe’s FIFA Boycott

As Trump's Board of Peace unveils a plan to disarm Hamas, will the group now give up its weapons and what would this mean for Gaza's future? Amid an escalation of violence on the West Bank and with se... Continue

559. Who Really Benefits from the Ceuta Migration Crisis?

Why did 50,000 people risk their lives in an attempt to cross the Morocco-Spain border? What do the pictures emerging from the enclave of Ceuta reveal about the bigger migration story? Why did right-w... Continue

200. Count Binface: Nigel Farage’s Biggest Threat?

Is Count Binface really Nigel Farage's biggest threat in Clacton, and has Farage already lost by turning "me against the establishment" into a battle against a bin? Does Binface's manifesto hide serio... Continue

Data Centres vs. Drinking Water: What Matters To Us Most?

To hear the full episode, which includes an interview with global water expert, Sandra Postel, sign up at the therestispolitics.com With the government quietly categorising data centres as ‘critica... Continue

558. The ‘Cockroach’ Uprising and Should We Stop Data Centres?

Is Modi's power finally cracking as the Cockroach Janta Party's mass protests force a minister to resign for the first time in over a decade? Does the new US-Saudi uranium deal risk triggering a fresh... Continue

557. Can Burnham Really Deliver Britain’s Biggest Change in Forty Years?

Can Andy Burnham, in a single term or less, fix problems like social care that are generations in the making? Is his new push for vocational education a long-overdue fix for Britain's broken skills sy... Continue

Alastair Campbell’s diary: The right wing case for climate crisis denial is going up in flames

Europe is burning, food insecurity is growing and Trump and Farage are still shouting about “Net Stupid Zero”... Continue