The Rest Is Politics

23 Jan 2026

493. Trump Insults NATO Troops

Why has Trump chosen to denigrate the sacrifice of allied soldiers? Are Keir Starmer and other NATO leaders finally reaching a breaking point with the US President? And what does this mean for the future of the Western alliance at such a critical moment?

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

19 Jan 2026

171. Neil Kinnock: A Labour Rebel’s Path To Power (Part 1)

Whilst an early career MP, why did Neil Kinnock rebel against the Labour Party so regularly? As Labour leader, how did Kinnock take on militant and the ‘ultra-left’ within the Labour Party? What regrets does Kinnock have about the way he responded to the Miners’ strikes? 

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

69. The brutal truth about net zero and how to vanquish climate populists, with Dieter Helm

Is net zero 2030 impossible to achieve - and is it a mistake to pursue it? Should governments be more brutal with climate investment? Are events like COP a waste of time?Rory and Alastair are... Continue

236. Question Time: The fight to be Donald Trump’s VP nominee

Who will Trump pick as his running mate? How much do you know about ‘Project 2025’? What’s the story behind Angela Rayner’s tax affairs?Join Rory and Alastair for TRIP Question Time a... Continue

Sunak looks like he is toast, but too many don’t knows for Labour to get complacent

A new development for The Rest Is Politics podcast this week: we have tied up with JL Partners, a polling company Rory Stewart first got to know well when running for London Mayor, and who also did t... Continue

235. What Britain really thinks of politics

Are the Tories in danger of being overtaken by Reform UK? Should polling instruct or inform political decisions? Who is the country’s least popular politician?Join Rory and Alastair for the... Continue

Alastair Campbell’s Diary: Brexiteers’ Singapore-on-Thames promise was a con

Deceitful Brexiters always knew that a post-Brexit Britain and Singapore would be deeply incompatible... Continue

68. Israel-Gaza: How the conflict divided Britain and the US, with Ed Kessler

What makes international conflicts turn domestic? Does Qatar play the key role in bringing peace to the Middle East? Is there a generational split in the West over Israel-Gaza?On today's epis... Continue

234. Question Time: Why New Labour introduced tuition fees, Thatcher and Blair’s canvassing secrets, and the greatest prime minister we never had

Who would have been in Rory’s cabinet if he had won the 2019 Tory leadership contest? Who is the best prime minister we never had? How can we fix England and Wales' struggling universities?... Continue

233. From peerages to Putin: the fight against corruption in politics

How can we root out corruption in politics, both at home and abroad? What’s caused the crisis in Israel around its ultra-Orthodox population? What really happened in the story of crypto’s... Continue