The Rest Is Politics

30 Jul 2026

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

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

3 Aug 2026

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 serious politics beneath the comedy? Could a joke candidate ever become a serious political force?

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

Alastair Campbell’s diary: My date with Ghislaine Maxwell

If you had said to me then she might end up attached to a powerful man, able to build and exploit connections wherever he found them, I could well have seen how it may happen... Continue

432. Trump, Starmer, and Gaza: Is The Tide Turning Against Israel?

Will the West turn the tide on Gaza or is it too little, too late? What are the pictures Netanyahu doesn't want Trump to see? Are Israel's aid drops purely performative? Join Rory and Alasta... Continue

145. Gary Stevenson: Masculinity, Money, and the Myth of Meritocracy (Part 2)

How did Gary become a multimillionaire by the age of 25? How big a difference can a wealth tax make on regular people's lives? Have centrist politics failed on the economy? Rory and Alastair... Continue

431. Question Tine: Netanyahu’s Survival, Deadly Clashes in Syria, and Japan’s Deep State

Is Netanyahu escalating conflict to distract from scandal? How is toxic masculinity taking hold among young men? Is Japan’s youth driving a new wave of nationalism? Join Rory and Alastair ... Continue

431. Question Time: Netanyahu’s Survival, Deadly Clashes in Syria, and Japan’s “Deep State”

Is Netanyahu escalating conflict to distract from scandal? How is toxic masculinity taking hold among young men? Is Japan’s youth driving a new wave of nationalism? Join Rory and Alastair ... Continue

Alastair Campbell’s diary: Notes from Brixton prison

The problem with Britain’s justice system is that incarceration is more than a punishment – it destroys lives... Continue

430. Murdoch, Epstein, and AI Billionaires: Is Trump Losing Control?

What did Alastair make of Jeffrey Epstein when he met him? Just how dangerous is AI in an unregulated world of tech bro billionaires? Why do Rory and Alastair disagree on votes for 16 year-ol... Continue

144. Gary Stevenson: From Teenage Drug Dealer to Millionaire Trader (Part 1)

How did Gary Stevenson go from being expelled for drug dealing, to one of the most successful traders in London? How does class and privilege play into the world of finance in the UK? What... Continue