The Rest Is Politics

• What Living Under ISIS Taught Me About Extremism

  Friday, 13 November 2026

  15 minutes

  Twenty-five years after 9/11, does terrorism still pose an existential threat to humanity? How do ordinary people become extremists — and why is it a mistake to generalise about the “type” of person who joins a terror organisation? What opportunities did the chaos of ISIS’ caliphate present to otherwise unlikely recruits? This week, Rory is joined by Iraqi historian and blogger Omar Mohammed, who, when ISIS captured Mosul in 2014, began secretly reporting on life inside the city, at great personal risk, and documented the occupation while it was happening. To hear the whole episode and ...

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• 588. Is Britain Prepared for Cyber Warfare and The ‘Plot’ to Undermine the UN

  Thursday, 12 November 2026

  1 hour 1 minute

  As supermarket fridges are hacked and bomb threats are called in, how is AI accelerating the rate of cyberattacks, and can Britain’s defences keep up? Who is in the running to become the next UN Secretary-General, and what will the appointment mean for the future of the organisation and the international order? Following the ANC’s worst-ever performance in South Africa’s local elections, has corruption finally caught up with the ruling party, and can it tackle the country's deepening unemployment crisis? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more in this week's edit...

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• 587. Will a Weakened Trump Make the World More Dangerous?

  Wednesday, 11 November 2026

  58 minutes

  Following the disastrous midterm results for the Republicans, where will Trump turn his attention for the last two years of his presidency, and what will the MAGA movement look like without him? With Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang admitting an affair with a suspected Chinese spy, what does the fallout mean for the future of the company – and its enormous influence over the future of AI and the entire American economy? What do the recent elections in Israel and New Zealand reveal about the challenges of proportional representation?  Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and mor...

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• 586. Can the Democrats Capitalise on Trump's Midterm Disaster?

  Wednesday, 4 November 2026

  1 hour 14 minutes

  Why did Trump concede defeat so quickly and pledge to work with Democrats, and what does this mean for the final two years of his presidency, including his influence on the world stage? Was this a cost of living election defeat for Trump more than an outpouring of love for the Democrats, and will MAGA’s ‘America First’ worldview persist anyway? After the most highly funded election in American history, could there finally be bipartisan support for tackling the influence of extreme wealth and corruption in US politics? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. ___...

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• 585. Rory Goes to a Trump Rally and Will the Youth Protests Spread to Britain?

  Tuesday, 3 November 2026

  1 hour 10 minutes

  What has Rory uncovered on the road through JD Vance country, and how did he feel attending a Trump MAGA rally? What is driving the wave of youth protests sweeping across Europe, and could we see similar unrest in the UK? What will be the political legacy of the late, great Patrick Stewart, and what was he really like? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more in this week’s edition of Question Time. __________ Enjoy Rory and Alastair’s interview with Kevin Rudd by searching ‘Leading’ on Spotify, Apple, or YouTube. Join The Rest Is Politics Plus. Start your free...

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• David Blunkett on Blindness, Adversity and Why Politicians Give Up Too Easily

  Saturday, 31 October 2026

  25 minutes

  To hear the full episode, and the whole series, sign up at therestispolitics.com This week, Alastair sits down with someone who – in his opinion – is the most persevilient person in politics, Lord David Blunkett. Blind since birth, he lost his father at the age of 12 and grew up in a very poor household.  Despite this, he went on to become leader of Sheffield Council at 33, then MP for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough, and a key architect of New Labour. You’ll hear how differently he experiences the world, not least in Westminster, why he thinks politics has before too ephemer...

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• 584. Why Is Trump Losing Voters and Will Texas Turn Blue?

  Friday, 30 October 2026

  1 hour 2 minutes

  Why are these US midterms so important, and what has Rory been seeing on the ground in Ohio? Could the Democrats really flip Texas, and is Trump alienating the Hispanic voters that were crucial to his 2024 victory? If the Republicans lose control of Congress, will Trump accept the result? Rory and Alastair are joined by Issy Stanley, reporting from Texas, as they answer all these questions and more in this week’s edition of Question Time. __________ Enjoy Rory and Alastair’s interview with Michael Lewis by searching ‘Leading’ on Spotify, Apple, or YouTube. Join The Rest Is Politics Plus...

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• 583. Is Burnham’s Budget Too Safe and How Brazil Defied Trump

  Wednesday, 28 October 2026

  1 hour

  With the UK’s new Chancellor, John Healey, announcing his first budget and Kemi Badenoch asking him, “is that it?”, how will the public judge his plans? With Lula making an historic return to Brazil’s presidency, was it the strength of his campaign or Bolsonaro Jr’s electoral gaffes in the leadership race that proved decisive? How did Aleksandar Vučić’s gamble on an early election backfire so spectacularly, and what does his shock defeat to a leaderless student movement tell us about just how unpredictable modern politics has become? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these question...

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• Kim Leadbeater, MP: My Sister's Murder and Why I Never Wanted To Go Into Politics

  Friday, 23 October 2026

  28 minutes

  This week, we bring you one of Alastair’s favourite interviews. He’s joined by Kim Leadbeater MP, whose sister Jo Cox was murdered in 2016, and his lifelong friend Lindsay Nicholson, who lost her husband John and nine-year-old daughter Ellie to the same rare cancer. They discuss grief, breakdowns, anger and faith, why they disagree on assisted dying, and how to find hope when the worst has already happened. To hear the whole interview and the rest of Alastair's series on Persevilience, sign up at therestispolitics.com Instagram: @restispolitics Twitter: @restispolitics Email: ther...

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• 582. Netanyahu’s Fight for Survival and the Gaza Film That Shocked Rory and Alastair

  Thursday, 22 October 2026

  1 hour 3 minutes

  What is at stake for Israelis and Palestinians in the upcoming parliamentary elections and, if Netanyahu loses, will anything actually change given the major parties reject a two state solution? Why does the IDF’s ‘bureaucracy of mass murder’ and its ‘NAZA’ collateral damage policy in Gaza feature so little in Israel’s domestic political debates? From Trump’s new press secretary’s disastrous five-day tenure, to the fallout from the Reform UK documentary, are we all now living in parallel political universes where scandals have less impact than they used to? Join Rory and Alastair as they a...

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• 581. Trump and Putin vs. Zelensky: Is Europe Sleepwalking into Disaster?

  Wednesday, 21 October 2026

  58 minutes

  After another devastating week for Ukraine, is Trump now firmly on Putin’s side, and how much leverage does Elon Musk have over Zelensky’s war effort through his ownership of Starlink? With more civil unrest in France, what does this mean for a protest movement increasingly overshadowed by rioting, and could it play into Marine Le Pen’s hands ahead of next year's presidential election? What do we know about the attack on Australian MP Helen Haines, after she was hit by a car twice in what the Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has described as a “deliberate” act? Join Rory and Alas...

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• Addiction, Breakdown and Finding Persevilience: Rory Interviews Alastair

  Friday, 16 October 2026

  1 hour 10 minutes

  How has Alastair managed to come back from some of the darkest places in his life, overcoming a breakdown while in the public eye? Is his obsession with work unhealthy, or necessary to achieving great things and what does it cost his family and those around him? And, beyond the personal, could the word he invented, “Persevilience”, be the antidote to populism, polarisation and post-truth? Listen to Rory Stewart interviewing Alastair Campbell for part one of Persevilience where they discuss all of this and more. Producer: India Dunkley Assistant producer: Evie Townend Video Editor:...

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• 580. How to Solve Britain’s Youth Unemployment Crisis

  Thursday, 15 October 2026

  1 hour 1 minute

  In Britain, we spend £25 on benefits for every £1 we spend helping young people find work. So why have successive governments failed to fix this – and what does Alan Milburn’s review, due this autumn, say needs to change? How have countries with the lowest youth unemployment rates tackled the issue, and what is the one intervention Andy Burnham’s government should put its money behind? How can we convince employers to take a chance on young people?  Rory and Alastair are joined by Alan Milburn as they answer all these questions and more in this week's edition of Question Time. __________ ...

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• 579. Trump’s Public Execution Order and Burnham’s Brexit Intervention

  Wednesday, 14 October 2026

  60 minutes

  How does Marco Rubio’s Parthenon speech fit the Trump administration’s ideas on European “civilisational erasure” – and how does it depart from traditional Republican rhetoric? With Pete Hegseth’s announcement of America’s first public execution since 1936 sparking outrage, are Trump’s likely successors, Vance and Rubio, staying loyal to their boss or quietly breaking from him? As Iran-backed Houthi attacks hit Saudi Arabia, can anyone predict Trump’s next move in the Middle East? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. __________ Enjoy Rory and Alastair’s int...

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• 578. Alastair and Michael Gove Disagree Agreeably on Brexit and Israel

  Thursday, 8 October 2026

  57 minutes

  Will there be another EU referendum, despite Andy Burnham promising not to re-run old Brexit arguments? Will Michael Gove ever criticise Israel's actions in Palestine, and if not, why not? What do the charges against Manchester City tell us about Manchester’s growth since 2008 – and why do questions around a football club present the first serious challenge to Burnham’s premiership?  Join Alastair and former Conservative cabinet minister and arch Brexiteer Michael Gove as they answer all these questions and more in this week's edition of Question Time. __________ Enjoy Rory and Alastai...

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• 577. Is Badenoch Finally Stopping Farage and Why Are French Schools on Fire?

  Wednesday, 7 October 2026

  1 hour 1 minute

  With Reform bogged down in scandal, and Kemi Badenoch setting out her political vision at Conservative Party conference, have the Tories finally wrestled momentum on the right of British politics away from Farage? As French schools burn, how are Le Pen and the French far right exploiting the unrest? And why has Spain's left-wing leader Sánchez called a snap election over the country's rental crisis – and can he defy the odds and win a majority? Join Alastair and former Conservative Cabinet Minister and arch Brexiteer Michael Gove as they answer all these questions and more. __________ En...

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

  Thursday, 1 October 2026

  1 hour 6 minutes

  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...

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• 575. Alastair Reacts to Burnham’s Speech and Rory’s Viral Stare

  Tuesday, 29 September 2026

  56 minutes

  Will scrapping the triple lock be electorally perilous for Burnham, or can his vision of a national care service convince the public and his party that it’s time for pension reform? Did being Mayor of Greater Manchester make him a better orator? And what is Rory’s explanation for his viral Newsnight stare? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. __________ Enjoy Rory and Alastair’s interview with Mustafa Suleyman by searching ‘Leading’ on Spotify, Apple, or YouTube. Go deeper into the world of The Rest Is Politics by signing up for our free newsletter HERE,...

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• Why Nuclear War Is More Likely Than You Think (with Carlo Rovelli)

  Thursday, 24 September 2026

  21 minutes

  Why have we stopped talking about the risk of nuclear war when the risk is greater than ever? What is a ‘nuclear winter’ and why are nuclear exchanges such extreme risks for the future of humanity? And should the UK be investing in nuclear weapons – or could this make the country more vulnerable? Rory is joined this week by physicist and philosopher, Carlo Rovelli for the next episode in his series on Existential Risk. Catch up on episode one with Yuval Noah Harari ⁠here.⁠ To hear the whole epiosde, sign up at therestispolitics.com Producer: India Dunkley Assistant producer: Evie...

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• 574. Germany’s Political Disaster and Can the Lib Dems Fight Back?

  Thursday, 24 September 2026

  49 minutes

  As the far-right Alternative for Germany wins another regional election, wiping out the ruling Christian Democratic Union in former Chancellor Angela Merkel's own backyard, will Friedrich Merz face the same fate as Keir Starmer and lose his job? New polling shows that just 15% of people in rural communities think Labour cares about them, so how does the party deliver "growth in every postcode" to the countryside? With 70 seats in Parliament and the Tories in electoral trouble, why haven't the Liberal Democrats gained more traction in the week of their party conference? Join Rory and Alasta...

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• 573. Burnham and Carney vs. Trump, and the Diana Dispute

  Wednesday, 23 September 2026

  52 minutes

  As Burnham meets Trump face-to-face for the first time at the UN General Assembly, will he adopt Mark Carney’s or Keir Starmer’s approach to dealing with the US President? With Carney receiving a standing ovation in the European Parliament and championing “deep cooperation” between Europe and Canada, is Britain in danger of being outflanked in its relationship with the continent? Where do Rory and Alastair stand on the allegations made by Princess Diana's brother, Earl Spencer, about the King? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. __________ Enjoy Rory and A...

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• The Greatest Threat Humans Just Can’t Stomach with Yuval Noah Harari

  Friday, 18 September 2026

  44 minutes

  Episode 2 is available right now for TRIP Plus members. Sign up at therestispolitics.com What can the Aztec Empire's catastrophic failure to understand Cortés and the Spanish conquistadors teach us about the threat AI poses today? Why does Yuval Noah Harari believe our gut refuses to accept an "alien intelligence" our brains already understand to be a threat? And can Britain avoid becoming an "AI vassal state" - or has that moment already passed? Rory is joined by Professor Yuval Noah Harari for Part 1 of their conversation on existential threats. Part 2 is available now for TRIP Plus...

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• 572. Trump’s Next Middle East Crisis and Reform’s £72m Megadonation

  Thursday, 17 September 2026

  58 minutes

  Is the Houthis' seizure of one of the world's most critical waterways the clearest proof yet that Trump's Iran war has become a catastrophe? With the very people building AI now calling for a pause, is real regulation finally coming, or will tech billionaires keep writing the rules themselves? And with Reform banking £72 million from two crypto billionaires, why is Britain one of the only democracies with no cap on political donations? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more __________ Enjoy Rory and Alastair’s interview with Sanna Marin, Former Prime Minister ...

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• 571. Rory and Alastair Challenge Ed Miliband on Israel-Palestine

  Tuesday, 15 September 2026

  59 minutes

  Why has Ed Miliband gone further than any previous foreign secretary in announcing the occupation of the Palestinian territories as illegal and placing sanctions on Israeli settlements in the West Bank? Can these limited sanctions really achieve their stated aim of “salvaging” the two-state solution? Will Britain now follow Mark Carney in building a new alliance of middle powers independent of the US and China? Alastair and Rory are joined by Ed Miliband, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, to answer all these questions and more in this week's edition of Question Time....

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• "Our Generation Was Lied To": Two Gen Z MPs on Fixing Politics

  Friday, 11 September 2026

  1 hour 6 minutes

  To hear the full series “The Gen Z Story”, sign up at the restispolitics.com – use your student email for a discount How do you get older colleagues to take you seriously when you become an MP at 25? Has the social contract between the state and young people been irreparably broken? And how should Andy Burnham tackle the biggest challenges facing young people today — the mental health crisis, student loan debt, a lack of jobs and opportunities, and the impossibility of getting on the housing ladder? Keir Mather and Rosie Wrighting, two Gen Z MPS, discuss all these topics and more with...

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• 570. Why Trump Acts Like a Russian Asset and Miliband’s West Bank Sanctions

  Thursday, 10 September 2026

  53 minutes

  After Trump’s latest betrayal of Ukraine, why does he act like a Russian asset? Has John Healy already missed his moment to be a radical Chancellor, and does Ed Miliband’s move to impose economic sanctions on Israeli settlements prove he would have been the bolder choice? Is the President of Serbia a fascist? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more in this week's edition of Question Time. __________ Enjoy Rory and Alastair’s interview with Anthony Scaramucci by searching ‘Leading’ on Spotify, Apple, or YouTube. Go deeper into the world of The Rest Is Politics ...

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• 569. Farage’s Foreign Funding Scandal and Germany’s Far-Right Breakthrough

  Wednesday, 9 September 2026

  55 minutes

  As the Alternative for Germany party secured its best ever election result in Saxony-Anhalt, is the country about to get its first far-right state premier since the Nazi Party, and will Chancellor Friedrich Merz survive the fallout? What does an undercover documentary on Reform's fundraising reveal about the men presenting themselves as the movement's moral and intellectual core, and has the law been broken? Is Europe now entering a new era defined by right-wing extremism? Alastair and Rory are joined by Deputy Editor of Bild-Zeitung, Paul Ronzheimer, who has been on the ground in Saxony-A...

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• Becoming Burnham: The Manchester Arena Call, Westminster Plotting, and Keir vs Andy

  Thursday, 3 September 2026

  19 minutes

  To hear the full episode, and the whole series, sign up at therestispolitics.com How did Andy Burnham learn about the Manchester Arena bombing? Would he still have tried to become PM had Keir Starmer let him stand in the Gorton and Denton byelection? And when did tensions between Keir and Andy really begin? Join Alastair Campbell and Steve Rotheram as they address all these questions and much more on Becoming Burnham Producer: India Dunkley Researcher: Miranda Crawford Video Editor: Josh Smith Social Producer: Celine Charles Executive Producer: Emily Kent Smith Learn more about...

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• 568. MAGA's Plan to Make Britain Look Broken and Iceland's 'Brexit' Moment

  Thursday, 3 September 2026

  56 minutes

  Did Iceland's rejection of EU membership talks repeat the same mistakes as Britain's Remain campaign, and does it hand a dangerous propaganda win to Farage, Putin, and the wider anti-European right? As Russia warns of "consequences" over British missiles built in Ukraine, is the West sleepwalking towards direct confrontation? With one in four Americans now convinced British society is broken, is Trump deliberately weaponising Britain to justify its own domestic agenda? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more in this week's edition of Question Time. __________ E...

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• 567. Who Really Benefits from AI and Will Data Centres Decide the Midterms?

  Wednesday, 2 September 2026

  1 hour 4 minutes

  Why is the backlash against data centres becoming one of the most combustible issues in US politics? What does an AI system's attempt to cheat, cover its tracks, and break into another company’s website reveal about our ability to keep these systems under control? After the catastrophic flash floods in Nepal, why does the funding for climate adaptation often fail the countries that need it most?  Join Alastair and Rory as they answer all these questions and more. __________ Enjoy Rory and Alastair’s interview with Dan Neidle by searching ‘Leading’ on Spotify, Apple, or YouTube. Go deepe...

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