The Rest Is Politics

Episodes page 1 of 6

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

   28 Oct 2026 · 1 h 00 min · Episode 583

   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…

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

   22 Oct 2026 · 25 min

   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…

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

   21 Oct 2026 · 1 h 02 min · Episode 582

   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…

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

   20 Oct 2026 · 58 min · Episode 581

   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,…

5. Addiction, Breakdown and Finding Persevilience: Rory Interviews Alastair

   15 Oct 2026 · 1 h 08 min · S12 E1

   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…

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

   14 Oct 2026 · 1 h 01 min · Episode 580

   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…

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

   13 Oct 2026 · 1 h 00 min · Episode 579

   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…

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

   7 Oct 2026 · 57 min · Episode 578

   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…

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

   6 Oct 2026 · 1 h 00 min · Episode 577

   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…

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

    30 Sep 2026 · 1 h 06 min · Episode 576

    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,…

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

    29 Sep 2026 · 55 min · Episode 575

    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…

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

    24 Sep 2026 · 18 min

    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…

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

    23 Sep 2026 · 48 min · Episode 574

    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…

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

    22 Sep 2026 · 52 min · Episode 573

    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…

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

    17 Sep 2026 · 43 min · S11 E1

    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…

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

    16 Sep 2026 · 58 min · Episode 572

    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…

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

    15 Sep 2026 · 58 min · Episode 571

    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…

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

    10 Sep 2026 · 1 h 05 min · S7 E5

    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…

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

    9 Sep 2026 · 52 min · Episode 570

    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…

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

    8 Sep 2026 · 55 min · Episode 569

    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…

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

    3 Sep 2026 · 19 min

    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…

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

    2 Sep 2026 · 56 min · Episode 568

    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…

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

    1 Sep 2026 · 1 h 04 min · Episode 567

    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…

24. Becoming Burnham: People Pleasing, The Shadow Years and Losing to Jeremy Corbyn

    27 Aug 2026 · 12 min

    Who are the political figures that shaped Andy Burnham? How far will the new PM go to be liked? And what impact did losing to Jeremy Corbyn's popularity 'tsunami' have on his career - and confidence? Join Alastair…

25. 566. Carney vs. Trump and Alastair’s Advice for Burnham’s First PMQs

    26 Aug 2026 · 1 h 00 min · Episode 566

    Why is Mark Carney choosing economic pain over a deal on tariffs with Trump? As Palestinians prepare to vote for the first time in 20 years, why has Mahmoud Abbas decided that now is finally the moment to hold…

26. 565. Zelenskyy’s Corruption Problem and Is History Repeating Itself in Germany?

    25 Aug 2026 · 57 min · Episode 565

    Why did Andy Burnham choose Kyiv, not Washington or Brussels, for his first foreign trip as Prime Minister? Is the tide at home turning against President Zelenskyy, and do fresh corruption scandals pose an existential…

27. Becoming Burnham: Thatcher, Hillsborough, and the Anger that Shaped Him | Part 1

    20 Aug 2026 · 21 min

    To hear the full episode and the series as it drops, sign up up at therestispolitics.com Alastair is joined by Andy Burnham’s closest confidant, friend and former colleague, Steve Rotheram – the Metro Mayor of the…

28. 564. Burnham’s Media Machine and West Bank Settler Impunity

    19 Aug 2026 · 1 h 01 min · Episode 564 · Explicit

    Is Burnham’s Britain’s first ‘TikTok Prime Minister’ and what does that mean for accountability, old-fashioned journalism, and the Westminster lobby? Why are violent Israeli settlers able to act with impunity against…

29. 563. Britain’s Afghanistan Shame and the Jason Arday Tragedy

    18 Aug 2026 · 1 h 10 min · Episode 563

    Five years after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Taliban takeover, why has not a single Western government marked the anniversary of a war that cost thousands of lives and trillions of dollars? Why has…

30. Will Climate Action Go Backwards Under Burnham?

    13 Aug 2026 · 53 min

    Should Andy Burnham deliver a covid style national emergency briefing to inform the public about the climate emergency? How do we foster cross-party consensus on the climate emergency? And, can we balance the need to…

31. 562. The Right’s War With Itself and Burnham’s Prisons Challenge

    12 Aug 2026 · 1 h 06 min · Episode 562 · Explicit

    With Nigel Farage and Rupert Lowe trading blows, is the British right tearing itself apart, and will Kemi Badenoch destroy the Conservative Party by chasing Reform and Restore voters rather than the centre ground? With…

32. 561. How Trump’s Chaos Keeps Splintering the World Order

    11 Aug 2026 · 57 min · Episode 561

    As a new military alliance between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan the first sign that America's allies no longer trust its guarantees? Why are politicians refusing to admit how fast America is burning through its…

33. The Truth About Climate Migration – It's More Complicated Than You Think

    6 Aug 2026 · 21 min

    To hear the whole episode and catch up on the rest of the series, which includes a deep dive into food security, water scarcity and the suppressed national security report, sign up at therestispolitics.com Are people…

34. 560. Trump's Hamas Disarmament 'Deal' and Europe's FIFA Boycott

    5 Aug 2026 · 1 h 01 min · Episode 560

    As Trump's Board of Peace unveils a plan to disarm Hamas, will the group now give up its weapons and what would this mean for Gaza's future? Amid an escalation of violence on the West Bank and with settlements…

35. 559. Who Really Benefits from the Ceuta Migration Crisis?

    4 Aug 2026 · 1 h 03 min · Episode 559

    Why did 50,000 people risk their lives in an attempt to cross the Morocco-Spain border? What do the pictures emerging from the enclave of Ceuta reveal about the bigger migration story? Why did right-wing figures across…

36. Data Centres vs. Drinking Water: What Matters To Us Most?

    30 Jul 2026 · 16 min

    To hear the full episode, which includes an interview with global water expert, Sandra Postel, sign up at the therestispolitics.com With the government quietly categorising data centres as ‘critical infrastructure’,…

37. 558. The 'Cockroach' Uprising and Should We Stop Data Centres?

    29 Jul 2026 · 58 min · Episode 558

    Is Modi's power finally cracking as the Cockroach Janta Party's mass protests force a minister to resign for the first time in over a decade? Does the new US-Saudi uranium deal risk triggering a fresh wave of nuclear…

38. 557. Can Burnham Deliver Britain's Biggest Change in Generations?

    28 Jul 2026 · 57 min · Episode 557

    Can Andy Burnham, in a single term or less, fix problems like social care that are generations in the making? Is his new push for vocational education a long-overdue fix for Britain's broken skills system, or a…

39. Britain's Ticking Time Bomb: The Food Security Crisis

    23 Jul 2026 · 16 min

    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 food supplies?…

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

    22 Jul 2026 · 1 h 01 min · Episode 556

    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 has Zelenskyy…

41. 555. Burnham’s Cabinet Purge and the Rough Sleeping Pledge

    21 Jul 2026 · 57 min · Episode 555

    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 Security and Net Zero…

42. The Secret Security Threat The Government Don’t Want Us To Know

    16 Jul 2026 · 19 min

    Why did the government suppress a report written by senior intelligence officials which named climate and nature collapse as a national security threat? How could ecosystem collapse lead to empty super market shelves,…

43. 554. Burnham’s Worldview, Trump's Ceasefire Collapse, and Advising Count Binface

    15 Jul 2026 · 59 min · Episode 554

    Can Andy Burnham's 'Makerfield test' survive contact with a world of Trump, China, and a raging Iran crisis? Why did every one of Netanyahu's promises to Trump about the war with Iran - from destroying the ballistic…

44. 553. Farage in Meltdown and The Killing of Ann Widdecombe

    14 Jul 2026 · 1 h 04 min · Episode 553

    Has Nigel Farage finally hit his tipping point, and could Count Binface deliver the ultimate humiliation in Clacton? Why are police warning against speculation over the killing of Ann Widdecombe, and is Reform trying…

45. 552. Trump's Red Card Saga and Germany's Far-Right Machine

    8 Jul 2026 · 1 h 01 min · Episode 552

    What does Trump's shocking red card intervention reveal about how he wields power? Why doesn't his corruption seem to hurt him politically, despite adding $2.2 billion to his wealth in a single year in office, while so…

46. 551. Will Farage’s Trumpian Resignation Stunt Backfire?

    7 Jul 2026 · 48 min · Episode 551

    Is Farage's shock by-election gamble a Trumpian trick to bury the scandal over his finances? Why has the Murdoch press finally turned on Britain's most protected politician? Can Andy Burnham beat the media machine that…

47. 550. Will Farage's Extreme Wealth Be His Downfall?

    2 Jul 2026 · 51 min · Episode 550

    How has Farage become the highest earning MP, while still claiming to be “for the everyday Briton”? Has Farage become part of the establishment? And how much more is there to discover about Farage’s £5 million "gift"?…

48. 549. Mamdani’s Wrecking Ball and the Rise of Anti-Migrant Vigilantes

    1 Jul 2026 · 45 min · Episode 549

    Is Zohran Mamdani becoming much more than a mayor and effectively running a shadow presidential campaign through the candidates he's backing? How significant is Australia’s new centrist party and could something…

49. 548. Burnham vs. Westminster and Trump’s Next Target

    30 Jun 2026 · 54 min · Episode 548

    Will Andy Burnham’s plan for a ‘Number 10 North’ actually work in practice? What does Rory make of Burnham’s growth strategy? Who is Donald Trump’s next target in Latin America? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer…

50. 547. The Truth About Russian Oil, Net Zero, and North Sea Drilling

    24 Jun 2026 · 1 h 00 min · Episode 547

    With the UK and Europe sweltering in yet another record-breaking heatwave, will we ever actually reach net zero? How close are we to a “lights out” scenario due to the Iran war, and how did we become so dependent on…