The Rest Is Politics

1 Oct 2026

576. How Xi is Outplaying Trump and Tensions in Northern Ireland

As Trump becomes the first American president to personally welcome a visiting head of state off a plane since JFK greeted Harold Macmillan in 1962, did his summit with President Xi signal improving US-China relations, or does Xi have his counterpart in an economic chokehold? With the standoff between protesters and members of the pro-British Protestant Orange Order in Northern Ireland showing no sign of resolution, is the region's fragile peace in danger of unravelling? And as violence erupts in Ethiopia, is Africa's second most populous country on the brink of civil war – and does it risk dragging other regional actors into a wider conflict spanning the Horn of Africa and the Gulf?

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.

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Leading

28 Sep 2026

208. Mustafa Suleyman: Is AI Actually Conscious?

Can Artificial Intelligence stay subordinate? Is Anthropic’s 100-Page constitution creating dangerous AI autonomy? Should AI models be granted legal personhood, rights, or financial compensation?

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.

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Latest

Alastair Campbell’s diary: The right wing case for climate crisis denial is going up in flames

Europe is burning, food insecurity is growing and Trump and Farage are still shouting about “Net Stupid Zero”... Continue
The New European

199. Is Trump’s Chaos Pushing Iceland Towards the EU? (Prime Minister of Iceland, Kristrún Frostadóttir)

What are the real reasons Iceland has brought forward its vote on restarting accession talks with the EU? What lessons did the Prime Minister learn from watching Brexit unfold while living in the UK, ... Continue
Leading

Britain’s Ticking Time Bomb: The Food Security Crisis

Could the UK be facing empty supermarket shelves by 2030? Are food distribution centres sitting ducks for drone warfare? And how has Britain got to a place where is has just 3 days to 3 weeks worth of... Continue
The Rest Is Politics

556. The US-China AI Arms Race and Badenoch vs. Rory’s Centrism

Is China quietly outsmarting the US in the AI arms race, and is Trump laying the pitch to challenge the results of the US midterms with his repeated, unfounded claims of Chinese election meddling? Why... Continue
The Rest Is Politics

Alastair Campbell’s diary: My night with the homeless showed me that Burnham must end rough sleeping

The new PM must be radical – including on Britain’s place in Europe... Continue
The New European

555. Burnham’s Cabinet Purge and Rough Sleeping Pledge: Will He Succeed?

What does Andy Burnham’s purge of Starmer loyalists from the top of government tell us about how the new British prime minister will govern the UK? Why did Ed Miliband drop his ten-year Energy Secur... Continue
The Rest Is Politics

198. How Trump’s Imperial Presidency Really Works

How does the most chaotic White House in history actually make decisions? How did Netanyahu sell Trump on a regime change war in Iran? Who is the only world leader Trump is truly afraid of?  Alastair... Continue
Leading

196. How America Talks Itself Into Endless Wars

What does the gap between American foreign policy rhetoric and reality reveal about the failures of its military interventions in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and Iran? In an age of algorithm-driven poli... Continue
Leading