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

135. Ed Miliband: Blair, Brown, and Battling his Brother (Part 1)

How did Ed Miliband’s childhood being raised by survivors of the Holocaust shape his politics? How did his role mediating between Blair and Brown earn Ed the moniker ‘Emissary from planet... Continue

407. Question Time: The U-turn Starmer Can’t Avoid

Just how extreme will Merz’s immigration curb get? Can the Labour Party still identify as centre-right? And should the men guilty of felling the Sycamore tree be sent to prison?  Join Ror... Continue

Alastair Campbell’s diary: Labour must reverse the winter fuel allowance cuts

Of all the things that the Labour government has done, this is the one that has done the most political damage... Continue

406. Biden, Springsteen, and Trump: Dancing in the Dark

What does Trump’s outburst against Bruce Springsteen and Joe Biden tell us about his psychology? Why has he lifted sanctions on al-Sharaa’s Syria, and why now? Has Portugal finally lost i... Continue

405. Starmer’s EU Deal: A New Era

Is Starmer's UK-EU deal a “win-win” reset of relations or a betrayal of Brexit red lines? Will this deal actually lower food and energy costs or boost growth? What does twelve years of Eu... Continue

Alastair Campbell’s diary: This UK-EU reset must be just the start

We will only properly fix the mess leaving the bloc created if we admit the scale of it... Continue

134. Palestine’s Most Popular Politician: Marwan Barghouti’s Son on Occupation, Resistance, and Hope

Who, instead of Hamas, could represent a peaceful Palestinian leadership? Why does Marwan Barghouti remain the most popular leader in Palestine despite being in jail for over 20 years, a peri... Continue

404. Question Time: How Starmer Fell Into Farage’s Immigration Trap

What message is the new pope sending to Trump? To what extent are the USAID cuts killing children? And, did Rory “get it wrong” on water nationalisation?  Join Rory and Alastair as they... Continue