The Rest Is Politics

9 Mar 2026

510. How The Iran War Is Spiralling Into a Global Crisis

Has Trump unleashed a sequence of events nobody in the world can control? How serious are the global consequences? Is this war even more dangerous than the Iraq war?

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

9 Mar 2026

179. President Stubb: Trump’s Unlikely Best Friend

How did President Stubb’s golfing talent lead him to fostering a close relationship with President Trump? Why was ‘Prime Minister’ the worst job ever? Why will the Global South define the new world order? 

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: 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

Alastair Campbell’s Diary: The Tories deserve to be annihilated at the election

It might even be better for the Conservatives too, but I am less concerned about them than I am about Britain... Continue

67. A Tale of Two Spies: The former heads of MI5 and MI6 on the Iraq War, double agents, and the IRA

Should spies be allowed to break the law while undercover? What should the relationship between government and intelligence look like? Do we overestimate or underestimate the power and reach ... Continue

A tale of two spy chiefs, and their views on past, present and future

If the four people in the picture above was a pop group, they might be called The Podspooks, or the Polispooks ... on either flank me and my podcast co-host Rory Stewart, in the middle former MI5 dir... Continue

232. Question Time: ISIS-K vs Russia, radical reform of the NHS, and the fight against child poverty

What is the wider significance of the terrorist attack in Moscow? Does the NHS need reform or spending increases? And why is the increase in child poverty not being discussed in the media?... Continue