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The Rest Is Politics: Leading

Goalhanger

215 episodes

The Rest Is Politics’ Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart interview politicians, leaders, intellectuals, and more.

More about the show

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.

The Rest Is Politics Plus: Become a member for exclusive bonus content, early access to Question Time episodes to live show tickets, ad-free listening for both TRIP and Leading, our exclusive newsletter, discount book prices on titles mentioned on the pod, and our members’ chatroom on Discord. Just head to therestispolitics.com to sign up, or start a free trial today on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/therestispolitics.

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Episodes page 1 of 5

  1. 212. What Happens When The World Stops Trusting America? (Michael Lewis)

    · 59 min · Episode 212

    Why did Elon Musk really go to Washington, and was DOGE ever about cutting government at all? What happens when the world stops trusting America, and could the next financial crisis already be under way? What will…

  2. 211. Trump's Niece on Why He's On Putin's Side

    · 55 min · Episode 211

    How did Donald Trump’s childhood shape the president we see today? Why was Mary Trump cut out of her grandfather’s billion-dollar will? Why does he want to see Europe fail? Alastair and Rory are joined by Mary Trump,…

  3. 210. Rory and Alastair Interview Prime Minister Andy Burnham

    · 1 h 15 min · Episode 210

    With the Trump administration planning to livestream a firing squad execution, should the UK take a stand? How will Andy Burnham change Britain’s relationship with the EU? Why has he agreed to publish details of…

  4. 209. Shabana Mahmood: Palestine Action, Faith, and What I Told Starmer

    · 1 h 18 min · Episode 209

    Should Palestine Action stay banned? Why can't Britain just send small boats straight back to France? Can faith and public duty coexist in modern British politics? Rory and Alastair are joined by the Home Secretary,…

  5. 208. Mustafa Suleyman: Is AI Actually Conscious?

    · 1 h 06 min · Episode 208

    Can Artificial Intelligence stay subordinate? Is Anthropic’s 100-Page constitution creating dangerous AI autonomy? Should AI models be granted legal personhood, rights, or financial compensation? CEO of Microsoft AI,…

  6. 207. Gordon Brown: How to Fix a Fracturing World

    · 57 min · Episode 207

    What did Gordon Brown learn from leading the UK through the global financial crisis? Why do so many citizens today not belong to any civic or religious group, and how does that impact our politics? How can middle…

  7. 206. How Putin's War Changed Finland Forever (Sanna Marin)

    · 59 min · Episode 206

    Following Putin's war in Ukraine, how politically challenging was it committing Finland to join NATO? What was it like becoming the world's youngest sitting prime minister at 34? Why did a scandal over dancing at a…

  8. 205. Anthony Scaramucci: Why America Keeps Making the Same Mistakes

    · 1 h 01 min · Episode 205

    Why does Anthony Scaramucci think Osama bin Laden is “winning”, and what has the War on Terror really cost America? From letting China into the WTO to bailing out the banks in 2008, how did America's own leaders pave…

  9. 204. Will a Wealth Tax Actually Fix Britain? (Dan Neidle)

    · 1 h 07 min · Episode 204

    Why does tax expert Dan Neidle take Gabriel Zucman seriously as a thinker on inequality, but dismiss Gary Stevenson's warnings as populism? What did he uncover in Peter Mandelson's emails, and how did he expose Nadhim…

  10. 203. The Man Taking On Infantino: UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin

    · 51 min · Episode 203

    How did UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin lead the revolt that tore apart Gianni Infantino's plan to privatise the World Cup? Is Infantino finished as FIFA President after alienating the European federations who once…

  11. 202. Is Peace in the Middle East Closer Than We Think? (A Palestinian & An Israeli's View)

    · 1 h 15 min · Episode 202

    How do an Israeli who lost his parents on October 7th and a Palestinian whose brother died after torture in Israeli prisons come together to reject revenge and build a brotherhood for peace? Why do they believe lasting…

  12. 201. How Westminster Breaks Politicians and Why Britain Isn't Ready for War

    · 1 h 16 min · Episode 201

    Is Britain's military being left behind as drones and AI rewrite the rules of modern warfare? Is British politics broken beyond repair, and does Johnny Mercer's ruthless fight for veterans reveal what's really wrong…

  13. 200. Count Binface: Nigel Farage's Biggest Threat?

    · 42 min · Episode 200

    Is Count Binface really Nigel Farage's biggest threat in Clacton, and has Farage already lost by turning "me against the establishment" into a battle against a bin? Does Binface's manifesto hide serious politics…

  14. 199. Is Trump's Chaos Pushing Iceland Towards the EU? (Prime Minister of Iceland, Kristrún Frostadóttir)

    · 1 h 06 min · Episode 199

    What are the real reasons Iceland has brought forward its vote on restarting accession talks with the EU? What lessons did the Prime Minister learn from watching Brexit unfold while living in the UK, and how have those…

  15. 198. How Trump’s Imperial Presidency Really Works

    · 53 min · Episode 198

    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 of? Alastair is joined by…

  16. 197. The Billionaire Tax Debate (Gabriel Zucman)

    · 1 h 12 min · Episode 197

    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 all? Rory and…

  17. 196. How America Talks Itself Into Endless Wars

    · 1 h 13 min · Episode 196

    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 political…

  18. 195. Can the West Reclaim its Power from Trump? (Malcolm Turnbull)

    · 1 h 11 min · Episode 195

    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 Australia and the…

  19. 194. Is Putin Losing His Grip on Russia?

    · 1 h 04 min · Episode 194

    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 like to report the…

  20. 193. James Cleverly: Why Has There Been A Radical Shift On The Right?

    · 1 h 18 min · Episode 193

    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 different leadership?…

  21. 192. Are We On The Brink Of World War III? (Odd Arne Westad)

    · 1 h 03 min · Episode 192

    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 consumed by…

  22. 191. Is It Already Too Late to Control AI? (Anthropic Co-Founder, Jack Clark)

    · 1 h 07 min · Episode 191

    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 Clifford are joined by…

  23. 190. How the Media Still Misunderstands Trump (Tina Brown)

    · 1 h 13 min · Episode 190

    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 Brown see change…

  24. 189. Rahm Emanuel: China, Technology, and the Future of the Democratic Party

    · 1 h 13 min · Episode 189

    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 Rahm Emanuel? And,…

  25. 188. Will AI Give China or the US Total Power? (William MacAskill)

    · 1 h 08 min · Episode 188

    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? Has effective…

  26. 187. Yanis Varoufakis: How The 2008 Crisis Revived Far-Right Populism

    · 1 h 18 min · Episode 187

    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 by Trump’s war with…

  27. 186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU

    · 1 h 06 min · Episode 186

    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 seize the…

  28. 185. Can Labour Win Back Scotland? (Anas Sarwar)

    · 1 h 02 min · Episode 185

    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 Labour into a…

  29. 184. President of Ukraine: Volodymyr Zelenskyy

    · 52 min · Episode 184

    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 his peace plan, what…

  30. 183. From Bradford to Westminster: Faith, Identity, and Power (Naz Shah)

    · 1 h 11 min · Episode 183

    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 for something” in…

  31. 182. Culture Wars, Identity, and What Needs To Change In Congress (Sarah McBride)

    · 1 h 05 min · Episode 182

    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 Democrats doing enough to…

  32. 181. Ai Weiwei: China, Censorship, and Dissidence Through Art

    · 1 h 08 min · Episode 181

    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 belief that there is…

  33. 180. The Only European Leader Defying Trump? (Pedro Sánchez)

    · 1 h 15 min · Episode 180

    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 far-right? What are Pedro…

  34. 179. President Stubb: Trump’s Unlikely Best Friend

    · 42 min · Episode 179

    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 order? Rory and…

  35. 178. Gavin Newsom: The Next President Of The United States?

    · 54 min · Episode 178

    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 tactic for trolling…

  36. 177. Olaf Scholz: Putin, Power, and Far-Right Populism

    · 59 min · Episode 177

    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 for Germany? Why…

  37. 176. How Close Are We To War With Iran? (Robert Malley)

    · 1 h 09 min · Episode 176

    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 “two-state solution” for…

  38. 175. Ex-Director of GCHQ: China, Russia, and the Threats Facing the UK (Jeremy Fleming)

    · 1 h 10 min · Episode 175

    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 are joined by Jeremy…

  39. 174. Taking On Europe's Last Dictator: The Fight Against Lukashenko and Putin

    · 29 min · Episode 174

    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 husband, imprisoned…

  40. 173. The man Putin can’t silence: Bill Browder and sanctioning Russia

    · 51 min · Episode 173

    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 the war in Ukraine?…

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

    · 1 h 04 min · Episode 172

    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? Alastair and Rory…

  42. 171. Neil Kinnock: A Labour Rebel’s Path To Power (Part 1)

    · 1 h 12 min · Episode 171

    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 regrets does Kinnock…

  43. 170. President of Moldova, Maia Sandu: Holding the Line Between Democracy and Putin

    · 1 h 09 min · Episode 170

    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 and Alastair travel…

  44. 169. Jimmy Wales: Wikipedia vs. Musk, AI, and the Battle for Truth

    · 1 h 13 min · Episode 169

    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 the history of the…

  45. 168. A Climate Special: Populism, Security, and Leadership

    · 1 h 00 min · Episode 168

    Can the planet sustain infinite economic growth, or is GDP a flawed metric? Is the UK genuinely decarbonising, or is it simply outsourcing its pollution? How can politicians defeat the populist narrative that Net Zero…

  46. 167. Faith, Depression, and Finding Calm in the Chaos (Professor Mark Williams)

    · 1 h 05 min · Episode 167

    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? Rory and Alastair are joined by…

  47. 166. John Swinney: Identity, Independence, and The Future of Scotland

    · 1 h 15 min · Episode 166

    What is the future of the Scottish independence movement? How does the SNP rebuild trust and support for independence after a series of bruising scandals? Why did the Scottish First Minister feel disrespected by a…

  48. 165. Anna Wintour: Culture, Influence, and the Power of Decisive Leadership

    · 1 h 14 min · Episode 165

    Why should everybody get fired at least once? As the former Editor-in-chief of American Vogue, how does Anna Wintour use fashion as a cultural and economic force? Why is Anna’s leadership style defined by the speed of…

  49. 164. Zack Polanski: Do The Greens Have What It Takes?

    · 1 h 20 min · Episode 164

    Why has Green party membership exploded since Zack Polanski became leader in September? What radical economic reforms is he fighting for? Why have the Greens stopped talking about the environment? Alastair and Rory…

  50. 163. Prison Reform, Masculinity, and Restorative Justice (James Graham and Jacob Dunne)

    · 1 h 10 min · Episode 163

    Jacob Dunne killed someone as a teenager, how did he seek forgiveness from his victim’s parents? What is restorative justice? How did Jacob’s experience of the criminal justice system compel him to become a campaigner…

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