The Rest Is Politics’ Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart interview politicians, leaders, intellectuals, and more.
From inside and outside of politics, guests join Rory and Alastair to discuss life, leadership, and the philosophy that’s led them to success in their chosen field. Their conversations cover key political events, global affairs, and the big ideas shaping the world today, offering listeners in-depth perspectives from those at the heart of change.
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198. How Trump’s Imperial Presidency Really Works
Jul 19, 2026
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…
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197. The Billionaire Tax Debate (Gabriel Zucman)
Jul 12, 2026
Can the super rich ever be fairly taxed, or are there too many functioning tax havens? Can capitalism survive the ever growing disparity between the top 1% and the rest? Should billionaires exist at…
196. How America Talks Itself Into Endless Wars
Jul 05, 2026
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…
195. Can the West Reclaim its Power from Trump? (Malcolm Turnbull)
Jun 28, 2026
As Western nations become increasingly dependent on the US for AI, satellite infrastructure, and defence, are they sacrificing sovereignty in exchange for American security? Can middle powers such as…
194. Is Putin Losing His Grip on Russia?
Jun 21, 2026
With war fatigue growing and polls showing increasing dissatisfaction with life in Russia, is Vladimir Putin beginning to lose control? What is really happening inside Russia today? And what is it…
193. James Cleverly: Why Has There Been A Radical Shift On The Right?
Jun 14, 2026
What does James Cleverly think of Nigel Farage and Reform? How does Cleverly explain his unexpected exit from the Tory leadership race? What could the future of AI in Great Britain look like under…
192. Are We On The Brink Of World War III? (Odd Arne Westad)
Jun 07, 2026
How similar is today's world to the months before the outbreak of World War I? Could Taiwan, India-China tensions, or an unforeseen crisis be the spark that sets the world ablaze? Are our leaders too…
191. Is It Already Too Late to Control AI? (Anthropic Co-Founder, Jack Clark)
May 31, 2026
Why is one of AI's most powerful insiders scared of what he's building? Who's really in charge of the technology reshaping our world? Is it too late for governments to regulate it?
Rory and Matt…
190. How the Media Still Misunderstands Trump (Tina Brown)
May 24, 2026
Why does Trump understand the media better than the media understands him? Are tech billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos more dangerous to journalism than Rupert Murdoch ever was? What did Tina…
189. Rahm Emanuel: China, Technology, and the Future of the Democratic Party
May 17, 2026
Will Rahm Emanuel run to be the next President of the United States? What were the underlying policy disagreements regarding West Bank settlements that led to Benjamin Netanyahu publicly attacking…
188. Will AI Give China or the US Total Power? (William MacAskill)
May 10, 2026
Could artificial intelligence hand the US or China 99% of global economic and military power? What happens when millions of autonomous weapons systems are controlled by a single commander-in-chief?…
187. Yanis Varoufakis: How The 2008 Crisis Revived Far-Right Populism
May 03, 2026
Was the 2008 financial crisis as consequential as the 1929 Wall Street Crash? How did it pave the way for Trump, Brexit, and the rise of the far-right across Europe? Will the economic damage caused…
186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU
Apr 26, 2026
How does President Vučić justify Serbia's geopolitical balancing act between Russia, China, and the European Union? Why does he warn that if the EU further delays enlargement, the United States might…
185. Can Labour Win Back Scotland? (Anas Sarwar)
Apr 19, 2026
Does the Leader of Scottish Labour regret calling for Keir Starmer to resign over his appointment of Peter Mandelson as US Ambassador? In the upcoming election, would he consider putting Scottish…
184. President of Ukraine: Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Apr 09, 2026
At a time when the United States is threatening to withdraw from NATO, how can Europe maximise its power to deter Russia's threat? If Vladimir Putin were given the territory Donald Trump offered in…
183. From Bradford to Westminster: Faith, Identity, and Power (Naz Shah)
Apr 05, 2026
How did Naz Shah’s experience growing up in Bradford and her experience with her family in the legal system influence her to go into politics? What does it mean for a political party to truly “stand…
182. Culture Wars, Identity, and What Needs To Change In Congress (Sarah McBride)
Mar 29, 2026
How are rights for trans people in the US improving or worsening under the Republican administration? What fundamentally needs to change in Congress to improve the state of politics? Are the…
181. Ai Weiwei: China, Censorship, and Dissidence Through Art
Mar 23, 2026
Why was Ai Weiwei kidnapped and held prisoner by the Chinese government? How did the 2008 Sichuan earthquake radicalise him into taking aim at the authorities through art? What’s behind Ai Weiwei’s…
180. The Only European Leader Defying Trump? (Pedro Sánchez)
Mar 16, 2026
Why is Prime Minister Sánchez such an outlier in challenging Trump on everything from military spending to Gaza? What’s behind Spain’s recent economic success? How is Spain tackling the rising…
179. President Stubb: Trump’s Unlikely Best Friend
Mar 09, 2026
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…
178. Gavin Newsom: The Next President Of The United States?
Mar 02, 2026
What happened on a ridiculous midnight phone call between Donald Trump and the Governor of California? Why does Gavin Newsom believe the President will be crushed in the mid-terms? What is Newsom’s…
177. Olaf Scholz: Putin, Power, and Far-Right Populism
Feb 23, 2026
Does the former German Chancellor think that Germany was wrong to rely on Russian gas in the run up to the war in Ukraine? What does Olaf Scholz think is behind the rise of the far-right Alternative…
176. How Close Are We To War With Iran? (Robert Malley)
Feb 16, 2026
How does the former US Special Representative for Iran think US-Iranian relations will improve? Is there a method to Trump’s madness when it comes to foreign policy? Why does Robert believe the…
175. Ex-Director of GCHQ: China, Russia, and the Threats Facing the UK (Jeremy Fleming)
Feb 09, 2026
Do Russia or China represent a bigger risk to UK national security? Why are we underestimating the threat posed by cybercriminals? Who holds the real power - ministers or spies?
Rory and Alastair…
174. Taking On Europe's Last Dictator: The Fight Against Lukashenko and Putin
Feb 06, 2026
How did Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya go from being a housewife to leading a Belarussian government in exile? How did Aleksandr Lukashenko become the last dictator in Europe? Why was Segei, Sviatlana’s…
173. The man Putin can’t silence: Bill Browder and sanctioning Russia
Feb 02, 2026
How did the “biggest capitalist in Eastern Europe” become the primary target of the Russian state? Why was Bill Browder’s friend Sergei Magnitsky killed in Russian prison? Why did Putin really start…
172. Neil Kinnock: Trump, Thatcher, and Why Labour Lost In 1992 (Part 2)
Jan 26, 2026
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…
171. Neil Kinnock: A Labour Rebel’s Path To Power (Part 1)
Jan 19, 2026
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…
170. President of Moldova, Maia Sandu: Holding the Line Between Democracy and Putin
Jan 12, 2026
How did Maia Sandu fight Russian disinformation in Moldova? What is it like to have a war in the country next door? Will the European Union accept Moldova with Russian troops in the country?
Rory…
169. Jimmy Wales: Wikipedia vs. Musk, AI, and the Battle for Truth
Jan 05, 2026
Who gave us an encyclopedia in our pockets? Why is the statement that Donald Trump is the "worst president in US history" allowed on his Wikipedia page? How do Brazilians and Americans differ on…
