The Rest Is Politics

7 Aug 2025

435. Question Time: The Migrant Return Plan, Colombia’s Drug Cartels, and Will Rory Join Corbyn’s New Party?

Can Starmer’s deal with Macron really fix the Channel crisis? Is Colombia’s fragile peace falling apart amid a booming drug trade? And, could AI replace mental health support lines? 

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

4 Aug 2025

146. The Rise and Fall of The Conservative Party: Jeremy Hunt (Part 1)

How did Jeremy Hunt lose the Conservative leadership race to Boris Johnson? What does the longest serving Health Minister think will fix the NHS? What does Jeremy Hunt really think of Kemi Badenoch’s leadership? 

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

428. Rory vs. Alastair: Are we spending too much on defence?

Is Starmer falling into Trump's defence spending trap? What's the bigger threat to the European democracies: Putin or populism? Why has a Labour-affiliated union suspended Angela Rayner, a tr... Continue

Alastair Campbell’s diary: Yes, it’s a genocide

Fence sitting is no longer possible, or right. The manner and scale of Israel’s demolition of Gaza goes way beyond either legal proportion or respect for civilian life... Continue

143. Iraq, Trump, and America’s Slide to Authoritarianism (Congressman Seth Moulton)

How did Congressman Moulton keep fighting the Iraq war when he thought it was a mistake? Is there anyone who can stop Trump, or is he an absolute monarch? Have substandard politicians used mi... Continue

427. The Real JD Vance: Heir to the MAGA Throne (Part 4)

Is JD Vance Trump's most dangerous heir? Would a JD Vance presidency be even more dangerous than Trump 2.0? How historically unusual is it for a Vice President to be so prominent in an admini... Continue

426. Corbyn’s Comeback, Musk’s New Party and The Broken SEND System

Is Corbyn’s new party a bold move — or a boost for the Tories? Can Labour fix SEND — or are vulnerable kids being left behind? Is Bosnia ready for the EU — or is Europe looking away a... Continue

426. Corbyn’s Comeback, Musk’s New Party and The Broken SEND System

Is Corbyn’s new party a bold move — or a boost for the Tories? Can Labour fix SEND — or are vulnerable kids being left behind? Is Bosnia ready for the EU — or is Europe looking away a... Continue

Alastair Campbell’s diary: How to understand Donald Trump

The chaos he inflicts on the world is perplexing, but his behaviour has clear patterns... Continue

425. Israel, Gaza, and the Definition of Genocide

Is the Israeli government creating a prison camp for Palestinians in Rafah? Why did the BBC drop its documentary investigating Israel’s destruction of Gaza’s healthcare system? How is Tru... Continue