The Rest Is Politics

5 Mar 2026

509. Labour’s Polanski Problem and the Student Loans Scandal (Question Time)

Does the Gorton and Denton by-election result suggest Labour has been underestimating the threat of the Green Party? Is the UK's tuition fee system less like a loan and more like a punishing graduate tax? As America retreats from the world stage under Trump, could the UK seize the moment to reassert itself as a cultural superpower?

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

2 Mar 2026

178. Gavin Newsom: The Next President Of The United States?

What happened on a ridiculous midnight phone call between Donald Trump and the Governor of California? Why does Gavin Newsom believe the President will be crushed in the mid-terms? What is Newsom’s tactic for trolling Trump? Will Newsom run for president in 2028? 

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

140. The Next President of France? Gabriel Attal on Macron, Le Pen, and Israel-Iran

Why has Macron become so unpopular? Where is the discussion of international law when it comes to the conflict between Israel and Iran? Why can’t the French and the English coordinate to st... Continue

418. Trump Bombs Iran: What Happens Now?

Why has the US entered the Israel-Iran war? Is this the beginning of a wider war? What does this all mean for the world? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. ... Continue

417. The Real JD Vance: America’s Next President? (Part 1)

Will JD Vance be America's next president, or its first king? What explains his journey from vehement never-Trumper to Trump’s Vice President and heir apparent? How far will he go in the pu... Continue

416. Question Time: What the Head of MI6 Really Does

What does the murder of politicians in Minnesota tell us about the state of American politics? What is the newly appointed Chief of MI6 going to know about the world? Is there a more divisive... Continue

Alastair Campbell’s diary: Donald Trump’s birthday parade is not America

The world saw through the spectacle for what it was: the whim of a self-styled strongman in need of flattery and adoration... Continue

415. Iran, Israel and Trump: War in the Middle East

Are we heading for all-out war between the US, Netanyahu and the Iranian regime? Is the West betraying international law in its support of Israel's pre-emptive strikes on Iran? Why did Starme... Continue

415. Iran, Israel, and Trump: War in the Middle East

Are we heading for all-out war between the US, Netanyahu and the Iranian regime? Is the West betraying international law in its support of Israel's pre-emptive strikes on Iran? Why did Starme... Continue

139. Speaker Kevin McCarthy: In Defence of Donald J. Trump

What is the logic behind Trump’s “chaotic” political strategy? Are Europe and America heading for a divorce? What did it feel like to get ousted as the Speaker of the House on a global... Continue