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. The Rest Is Politics lifts the lid on the secrets of Westminster, offering an insider’s view on politics at home and abroad, while bringing back the lost art of disagreeing agreeably. Twitter: @RestIsPolitics Instagram: @restispolitics Email: restispolitics@gmail.com
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Episodes
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380. JD Vance vs. the UK
Thursday, 6 March 2025
How much damage has JD Vance done to US-UK relations? If not the UK, which country was he referring to as "some random country"? How can we stop playing Trump’s game? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. Fuse are giving away FREE TRIP+ membership for all of 2025 to new sign ups 🎉 TRIP+ gets you ad-free listening, discounts, and early access to episodes and pre-sale tickets for live shows! To sign up and for terms and conditions, visit GetFuse.com/Politics ⚡ The Rest Is Politics Plus: Become a member to receive...
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379. The Four Outcomes For Ukraine
Wednesday, 5 March 2025
How should the world move on from the Oval Office debacle? Should Trump's state visit go ahead? And, what are Alastair and Rory's predictions for upcoming elections in Canada and Australia? Join Rory and Alastair as they discuss all of this and more. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. Fuse are giving away FREE TRIP+ membership for all of 2025 to new sign ups 🎉 TRIP+ gets you ad-free listening, discounts, and early access to episodes and pre-sale tickets for live shows! To sign up and for terms and conditions, visit GetFuse.com/Politics ⚡ The Rest Is Politics Plus: Become a...
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378. TRUMP VS. ZELENSKY: OVAL OFFICE SHOWDOWN
Friday, 28 February 2025
What does Trump’s dramatic outburst at Zelensky mean for Ukraine and the world? Was this an orchestrated ambush by JD Vance and Trump? Should King Charles withdraw his Trump state visit invitation? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. Fuse are giving away FREE TRIP+ membership for all of 2025 to new sign ups 🎉 TRIP+ gets you ad-free listening, discounts, and early access to episodes and pre-sale tickets for live shows! To sign up and for terms and conditions, visit GetFuse.com/Politics ⚡ The Rest Is Politics P...
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377. Question Time: How will Europe defend itself?
Friday, 28 February 2025
Should the UK impose a ‘War Levy’ on VAT to raise immediate funds for defence? How much independence does Starmer have over the nuclear arsenal? And, what happened to the funds intended for Ukraine support raised by the sale of Chelsea football club? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. Fuse are giving away FREE TRIP+ membership for all of 2025 to new sign ups 🎉 TRIP+ gets you ad-free listening, discounts, and early access to episodes and pre-sale tickets for live shows! To sign up and for terms and conditions,...
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376. Aid vs Defence: A Livestream Special
Wednesday, 26 February 2025
Sir Keir Starmer has unveiled plans to increase defence spending by 2027 - redirecting funds from foreign aid. What does this mean for the UK and its global role? Join Rory and Alastair as they discuss this and more. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. Fuse are giving away FREE TRIP+ membership for all of 2025 to new sign ups 🎉 TRIP+ gets you ad-free listening, discounts, and early access to episodes and pre-sale tickets for live shows! To sign up and for terms and conditions, visit GetFuse.com/Politics ⚡ Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ nordvpn.com/restispolitics It's r...
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375. Germany's Fight Against the Far Right
Wednesday, 26 February 2025
Has Trump already become a strategic adversary to Europe? Will Starmer’s White House visit be his ‘Love Actually’ moment? How can Europe actually become independent from the US? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. Fuse are giving away FREE TRIP+ membership for all of 2025 to new sign ups 🎉 TRIP+ gets you ad-free listening, discounts, and early access to episodes and pre-sale tickets for live shows! To sign up and for terms and conditions, visit GetFuse.com/Politics ⚡ The Rest Is Politics Plus: Become a member...
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374. Question Time: Why The US Needs A Leader Of The Opposition
Thursday, 20 February 2025
How dangerous is Europe's exclusion from Ukraine peace talks? Is there anything to be learnt from the USAID cuts? And what are Rory and Alastair's guilty pleasures? Join Alastair and Rory as they answer all of these questions and more. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. Fuse are giving away FREE TRIP+ membership for all of 2025 to new sign ups 🎉 TRIP+ gets you ad-free listening, discounts, and early access to episodes and pre-sale tickets for live shows! To sign up and for terms and conditions, visit GetFuse.com/Politics ⚡ The Rest Is Politics Plus: Become a member to recei...
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373. Europe vs. America: Crisis in the West
Wednesday, 19 February 2025
What can Europe do to protect itself against the Trump administration? Will Germany’s historic anti-far right ‘firewall’ collapse? Will Ukraine become a Russian satellite state? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. Fuse are giving away FREE TRIP+ membership for all of 2025 to new sign ups 🎉 TRIP+ gets you ad-free listening, discounts, and early access to episodes and pre-sale tickets for live shows! To sign up and for terms and conditions, visit GetFuse.com/Politics ⚡ The Rest Is Politics Plus: Become a member...
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372. Syria, al-Sharaa, and the future of the Middle East
Saturday, 15 February 2025
What does al-Sharaa's rise to power mean for Syria? Given his surprise takeover, how will today’s CIA analysts be changing the way they think about the country and what happens next? Will Syria be the next Libya? Join Rory and Alastair as they discuss Syria’s rapidly shifting political landscape with former CIA analyst and The Rest Is Classified co-host David McCloskey, who spent almost a decade covering Syria from Langley and Damascus, both before and during the Syrian civil war. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. Fuse are giving away FREE TRIP+ membership for all of 2025 to...
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371. Question Time: Buying Gaza, Macron’s AI Stunt, and Europe on a Knife’s Edge
Thursday, 13 February 2025
How does Trump’s controversial plan impact Middle Eastern relations? Can President Macron combat AI deep fakes in France? How does Canada plan to fight a trade war with the US? Join Alastair and Rory as they answer all of these questions and more. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. Fuse are giving away FREE TRIP+ membership for all of 2025 to new sign ups 🎉 TRIP+ gets you ad-free listening, discounts, and early access to episodes and pre-sale tickets for live shows! To sign up and for terms and conditions, visit GetFuse.com/Politics ⚡ TRIP Plus: Become a member of The Rest I...
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370. Starmer’s Silver Bullet and Trump’s War on the Poor
Wednesday, 12 February 2025
Will Musk’s Washington power grab increase global poverty? Has Keir Starmer lost control of his cabinet? Is now the perfect moment for Britain to join the customs union? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. Fuse are giving away FREE TRIP+ membership for all of 2025 to new sign ups 🎉 TRIP+ gets you ad-free listening, discounts, and early access to episodes and pre-sale tickets for live shows! To sign up and for terms and conditions, visit GetFuse.com/Politics ⚡ TRIP Plus: Become a member of The Rest Is Politics...
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369. Question Time: China’s DeepSeek, Ambassador Mandelson, and misogyny in politics
Friday, 7 February 2025
What’s the danger of China’s DeepSeek? Why are male and female politicians still treated differently? Are politicians right to appease leaders they don’t agree with? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. Stream brand-new drama Brian and Maggie now on Channel 4. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. Fuse are giving away FREE TRIP+ membership for all of 2025 to new sign ups 🎉 TRIP+ gets you ad-free listening, discounts, and early access to episodes and pre-sale tickets for live shows! To sign up and for terms and conditions, visit GetFuse.com/Politic...
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368. Trump's Plan for Gaza
Thursday, 6 February 2025
What exactly does Trump mean by "taking over" Gaza? How have others reacted to Trump's proposals? How serious is he? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more in an emergency livestream, recorded on Wednesday 5th February 2025. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. Fuse are giving away FREE TRIP+ membership for all of 2025 to new sign ups 🎉 TRIP+ gets you ad-free listening, discounts, and early access to episodes and pre-sale tickets for live shows! To sign up and for terms and conditions, visit GetFuse.com/Politics ⚡ Get our exclusive NordVPN deal her...
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367. Rory vs JD Vance, recording from Damascus, and Trump’s tariffs
Wednesday, 5 February 2025
Why are Rory and Alastair in Damascus? What’s going on with JD Vance? Has there been a twist in the German election? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. Fuse are giving away FREE TRIP+ membership for all of 2025 to new sign ups 🎉 TRIP+ gets you ad-free listening, discounts, and early access to episodes and pre-sale tickets for live shows! To sign up and for terms and conditions, visit GetFuse.com/Politics ⚡ Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ nordvpn.com/restispolitics It's risk-free with Nord's 30 day mo...
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366. Question Time: Why do dictators bother with sham elections?
Thursday, 30 January 2025
What stops billionaires spending their money in their lifetime? How can you stay engaged with politics without sacrificing mental health? Who are the hidden actors in the Israel/Gaza conflict? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. Stream brand-new drama Brian and Maggie now on Channel 4. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy, a green electricity supplier powering homes across England, Scotland & Wales. Use referral code POLITICS after signing up for your chance to win a TRIP merch bundle. Learn more at GetFuse.com/Politics Get our exclusive NordV...
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365. Trump's Mafia World Order
Wednesday, 29 January 2025
How many ‘early warning signs of fascism’ are we seeing in the US? Has Trump delivered a fatal blow to America’s soft power around the world? Why does Alastair admire Prince Harry and his battle with the tabloids? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy, a green electricity supplier powering homes across England, Scotland & Wales. Use referral code POLITICS after signing up for your chance to win a TRIP merch bundle. Learn more at GetFuse.com/Politics Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ nordvpn.com/restispoliti...
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364. Question Time: America’s waning power, Alastair vs. Meta, and the existential threat of depopulation
Thursday, 23 January 2025
Musk, Zuckerberg, and Trump – who’s controlling who? Does populist isolationism actually make a country weaker? Could Farage actually be Prime Minister by 2029? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy, a green electricity supplier powering homes across England, Scotland & Wales. Use referral code POLITICS after signing up for your chance to win a TRIP merch bundle. Learn more at GetFuse.com/Politics EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/therestispolitics Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guaran...
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363. The Return of Donald J. Trump
Wednesday, 22 January 2025
What did the inauguration tell us about how extreme Trump 2.0 is going to be? What is Netanyahu’s endgame for Gaza – peace or perpetual war? Why has Starmer launched an inquiry into the Southport attacks? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy, a green electricity supplier powering homes across England, Scotland & Wales. Use referral code POLITICS after signing up for your chance to win a TRIP merch bundle. Learn more at GetFuse.com/Politics EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/therestispolitics Try it r...
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362. Question Time: Labour’s education error and Blair’s mistake on mental health
Thursday, 16 January 2025
Why are students protesting in Serbia? Is Labour right to scrap financial support for Latin in state schools? What does Alastair think about Tony Blair’s comments on mental health? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more in today's Question Time. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy, a green electricity supplier powering homes across England, Scotland & Wales. Use referral code POLITICS after signing up for your chance to win a TRIP merch bundle. Learn more at GetFuse.com/Politics ⚡ Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ nordvpn.com/restispolitics It's...
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361. Gaza, Israel, and Ceasefire
Wednesday, 15 January 2025
How can Gaza be rebuilt after any ceasefire is agreed? What are the ‘six deadly sins’ of the liberal centre? What should we make of Starmer’s AI action plan for Britain? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. Peter Hyman's New European article discussed in the episode can be found here! The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy, a green electricity supplier powering homes across England, Scotland & Wales. Use referral code POLITICS after signing up for your chance to win a TRIP merch bundle. Learn more at GetFuse.com/Politics Get our exclusive NordVPN ...
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360. Question Time: Assad’s People - Syria, Torture, and Justice
Thursday, 9 January 2025
Are the media ignoring what’s happening in Gaza? Should the UK be boycotting the cricket in Afghanistan? And, how worried should we be about democratic backsliding in Georgia and Venezuela? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more in today's Question Time. TRIP Plus: Become a member of The Rest Is Politics Plus to support the podcast, receive our exclusive newsletter, enjoy ad-free listening to both TRIP and Leading, benefit from discount book prices on titles mentioned on the pod, join our Discord chatroom, and receive early access to live show tickets and Ques...
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359. Starmer vs. Musk: Why the richest man in the world turned against the Prime Minister
Wednesday, 8 January 2025
What's behind Musk's spiral into the far right? Is Robert Jenrick veering into Enoch Powell territory? Is Austria on the precipice of a new form of fascism? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy, a green electricity supplier powering homes across England, Scotland & Wales. Use referral code POLITICS after sign up for a chance to win a TRIP merch bundle. Learn more at getfuse.com/politics ⚡ TRIP Plus: Become a member of The Rest Is Politics Plus to support the podcast, receive our exclusive newsletter, enjoy ad-f...
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358. Question Time: Political translators, Boris Johnson, and politicians to watch in 2025
Thursday, 2 January 2025
What are Rory and Alastair's funny translation stories? Could Boris Johnson ever have a comeback? And are there any politicians to watch out for in 2025? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more in today's Question Time. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy, a green electricity supplier powering homes across England, Scotland & Wales. Use referral code POLITICS after signing up for your chance to win a TRIP merch bundle. Learn more at GetFuse.com/Politics ⚡ TRIP Plus: Become a member of The Rest Is Politics Plus to support the podcast, receive our exc...
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357. Political New Year's resolutions, Elon Musk, and what happens next in Taiwan?
Wednesday, 1 January 2025
What should Labour’s new year resolution be? How worried should we be about Elon Musk? Could China move on Taiwan in 2025? Join Rory and Alastair in this New Year's Day special episode to hear them answer all these questions and more. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy, a green electricity supplier powering homes across England, Scotland & Wales. Use referral code POLITICS after signing up for your chance to win a TRIP merch bundle. Learn more at GetFuse.com/Politics ⚡ 🌏 Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ nordvpn.com/restispolitics It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-...
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356. Georgia, Russia, and the fight for democracy - An interview with the President of Georgia
Friday, 27 December 2024
Will Georgia’s President accept the inauguration of her successor on the 29th of December? If she does, will Georgia be handed over to Russia? Is there a way back to Europe for the country? In this live interview, Rory and Alastair speak with Salome Zourabichvili to ask all of this and more. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy, a green electricity supplier powering homes across England, Scotland & Wales. Use referral code POLITICS after signing up for your chance to win a TRIP merch bundle. Learn more at GetFuse.com/Politics ⚡ Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ nordvpn.co...
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355. How to start a campaign, Gisele Pelicot, and the biggest surprise of 2024
Thursday, 26 December 2024
Why has the environment fallen off the political agenda? What events caught geopolitical experts off guard in 2024? And, what advice would Alastair give to anyone looking to start their own campaign? Join Rory and Alastair as they discuss all this, and more. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy, a green electricity supplier powering homes across England, Scotland & Wales. Use referral code POLITICS after signing up for your chance to win a TRIP merch bundle. Learn more at GetFuse.com/Politics ⚡ Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ nordvpn.com/restispolitics It’s risk-free with...
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354. Nigel Farage, dad-dancing populists, and the worst politician of the year
Wednesday, 25 December 2024
Who was the worst politician of the year? What was the biggest political moment of 2024? What was the most under-discussed moment of the year? Join Rory and Alastair as they discuss all this, and more. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy, a green electricity supplier powering homes across England, Scotland & Wales. Use referral code POLITICS after signing up for your chance to win a TRIP merch bundle. Learn more at GetFuse.com/Politics ⚡ Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ nordvpn.com/restispolitics It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! ✅ TRIP Plus: Becom...
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353. Question Time: Celeb politicians, Chinese spies, and Ireland vs. Israel
Thursday, 19 December 2024
Why is Israel shutting its embassy in Ireland? Who is the alleged Chinese spy linked to Prince Andrew? Will the UK ever have a Donald Trump-style leader? Rory and Alastair answer all these questions and more in this week's Question Time. TRIP Plus: Become a member of The Rest Is Politics Plus to support the podcast, receive our exclusive newsletter, enjoy ad-free listening to both TRIP and Leading, benefit from discount book prices on titles mentioned on the pod, join our Discord chatroom, and receive early access to live show tickets and Question Time episodes. Just head to therestispol...
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352. How to solve the small boats crisis
Wednesday, 18 December 2024
Will Labour be able to deliver on their promises on immigration? What is the thinking behind some of Trump's cabinet picks? Could German politics swing to the right? Join Rory and Alastair as they discuss all this, and more. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy, a green electricity supplier powering homes across the UK. Use referral code POLITICS after sign up for a chance to win a signed copy of Rory and Alastair's books with personalised messages. Learn more at getfuse.com/politics ⚡ Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ nordvpn.com/restispolitics It’s risk-free with Nord’s 3...
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351. Question Time: Geopolitics in Crisis
Thursday, 12 December 2024
Why did the president of South Korea announce martial law this week? What does the result of the Romanian elections spell for Europe? How can Georgia resolve the protests happening there? Rory and Alastair answer all these questions and more in this week's Question Time. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy, a green electricity supplier powering homes across the UK. Use referral code POLITICS after sign up for a chance to win a signed copy of Rory and Alastair's books with personalised messages. Learn more at getfuse.com/politics ⚡ Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ nordvpn....