25 Dec 2025
482. A Trumpian Year, the Politics of Hope and Highlights of 2025What surprised Rory and Alastair most about 2025? Why does Trump's presidency feel even more chaotic than expected? And who gets their vote for campaigner of the year?
The Rest Is Politics
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
22 Dec 2025
167. Faith, Depression, and Finding Calm in the Chaos (Professor Mark Williams)From Parliament to Prison, how can people find calm in chaotic environments? How does one cope with grief during the festive period? What are some successful ways to combat depression?
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
SPEECH TONIGHT: ‘What one generation does, the next can undo’
I am making a speech this evening, in memory of Julian Priestley, a lovely man who served as general secretary of the European Parliament from 1997-2007, and who sadly died aged just 66, in 2016. The... Continue
Do manifestos matter? What exactly is a free port? Is there a real difference between One-nation Conservatives and Blairites?Join Alastair and Rory for this week's Question Time episode as th...
Continue
129. Sunak at a crossroads, weaponising ‘woke’, and the Wagner Group
Have the local elections changed how Sunak will run Number 10? What's going on with the Wagner Group and Vladimir Putin? How did the coronation attendees manage to go to the toilet during the... Continue
I am speaking today at a conference in London, on the importance of learning foreign languages. It might seem a bit of a niche issue, but I believe it is central, and all too neglected in English spe...
Continue
17: Gerry Adams: The Troubles, Margaret Thatcher, and the IRA
How much do you know about Thatcher's back channels with Irish republicans during the Troubles? What are Gerry Adams' emotions towards the 1984 Brighton hotel bombing, looking back now in 202... Continue
128. Local Elections: Who’s the real winner?
Was this a win for Starmer? Or should he be disappointed? What does this tell us about next year's general election?Alastair and Rory have hit the emergency pod button - listen now to hear Th... Continue
What role do corporations play in political activism? Could the local elections results push forward a general election? Are communists having a resurgence in Europe? Rory and Alastair answer...
Continue
126. King Charles III’s coronation, the geopolitics of net-zero, and the power of oracy
This Saturday May 6th, the UK will celebrate the coronation of King Charles III. But what is the political impact of such an event? And what is the relevance of the monarchy today? Rory and A... Continue