The Rest Is Politics

25 Jan 2026

What If the AI Revolution Isn’t Real?

Is AI a revolution, or just another slow-moving general technology? Are we mistaking hype for inevitability? And, can a technology this unreliable really reshape civilisation?

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

26 Jan 2026

172. Neil Kinnock: Trump, Thatcher, and Why Labour Lost In 1992 (Part 2)

Why did Neil Kinnock believe the fight against Margaret Thatcher was an existential one? What would Kinnock do to tackle the threat posed to Labour by reform? Why did Labour lose the 1992 election?

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

28: Paul Nurse: The power of genetics, battling politicians, and the fight against cancer

How close are we to finding a cure for cancer? What did the government do wrong - in scientific terms - during the pandemic? Do Labour or the Tories have a proper plan to harness the power of... Continue

155. Sunak slides to defeat in Selby and Somerton

How happy should Labour be with Thursday's by-election results? Can Sunak take some solace from holding on in Uxbridge? Will these constituencies be Labour, Tory, and Lib Dem holds at the nex... Continue

154. Question Time: Ben Wallace, intellectual PMs, and the fight for the Israeli flag

Will Rory run for London Mayor next year? What will Ben Wallace's political legacy look like? Why are left and right fighting over the Israeli flag?Join Rory and Alastair as they answer the T... Continue

153. How radical would Labour be in power?

Would Keir Starmer be radical or conservative as prime minister? Is enough being done to combat the current heatwave affecting much of the world? What should we make of Kemi Badenoch's new tr... Continue

Alastair Campbell’s Diary: The Tories’ silence on the climate crisis says it all

Across Europe, only Turkey has a higher respiratory death rate than the UK, but the government doesn’t appear to care... Continue

152. The Power of Prigozhin

From a Siberian penal colony to the gold mines of the Central African Republic, who is Yevgeny Prigozhin and how did he become one of the most famous men in Russia today?Following Wagner's ... Continue

27: Feargal Sharkey: Teenage Kicks, Bobby Sands, and saving our rivers

Can we reverse the damage done to our polluted rivers and seas? What was it like to write Teenage Kicks? How has Brexit hamstrung the music industry?From punk singer to political activist, Fe... Continue

151. Question Time: Feargal Sharkey on water pollution, drug legalisation, and fishing

Is it too late to save our rivers? How should the government approach drug testing at festivals? Which political journalists were in attendance at George Osborne's wedding?Singer, environment... Continue