Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart break down current affairs in the UK and abroad. The Rest Is Politics analyses the latest international news, provides debate on global issues, and reveals secrets from Westminster, whilst bringing back the lost art of disagreeing agreeably. With insider perspectives and expert analysis, The Rest Is Politics is the go-to podcast for anyone seeking intelligent, engaging discussions on British and global politics.
Episodes
588. Is Britain Prepared for Cyber Warfare and The ‘Plot’ to Undermine the UN
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 corru
587. Will a Weakened Trump Make the World More Dangerous?
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 Ame
586. Can the Democrats Capitalise on Trump's Midterm Disaster?
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 his
585. Rory Goes to a Trump Rally and Will the Youth Protests Spread to Britain?
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 wee
David Blunkett on Blindness, Adversity and Why Politicians Give Up Too Easily
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
584. Why Is Trump Losing Voters and Will Texas Turn Blue?
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 mo
583. Is Burnham’s Budget Too Safe and How Brazil Defied Trump
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 spec
Kim Leadbeater, MP: My Sister's Murder and Why I Never Wanted To Go Into Politics
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 alrea
582. Netanyahu’s Fight for Survival and the Gaza Film That Shocked Rory and Alastair
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-
581. Trump and Putin vs. Zelensky: Is Europe Sleepwalking into Disaster?
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
Addiction, Breakdown and Finding Persevilience: Rory Interviews Alastair
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?
Lis
580. How to Solve Britain’s Youth Unemployment Crisis
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
579. Trump’s Public Execution Order and Burnham’s Brexit Intervention
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 Hout
578. Alastair and Michael Gove Disagree Agreeably on Brexit and Israel
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
577. Is Badenoch Finally Stopping Farage and Why Are French Schools on Fire?
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 crisi
576. How Xi is Outplaying Trump and Tensions in Northern Ireland
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
575. Alastair Reacts to Burnham’s Speech and Rory’s Viral Stare
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.
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Why Nuclear War Is More Likely Than You Think (with Carlo Rovelli)
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 s
574. Germany’s Political Disaster and Can the Lib Dems Fight Back?
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
573. Burnham and Carney vs. Trump, and the Diana Dispute
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
The Greatest Threat Humans Just Can’t Stomach with Yuval Noah Harari
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 "
572. Trump’s Next Middle East Crisis and Reform’s £72m Megadonation
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 democrac
571. Rory and Alastair Challenge Ed Miliband on Israel-Palestine
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
"Our Generation Was Lied To": Two Gen Z MPs on Fixing Politics
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, s
570. Why Trump Acts Like a Russian Asset and Miliband’s West Bank Sanctions
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 editio
569. Farage’s Foreign Funding Scandal and Germany’s Far-Right Breakthrough
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 b
Becoming Burnham: The Manchester Arena Call, Westminster Plotting, and Keir vs Andy
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 muc
568. MAGA's Plan to Make Britain Look Broken and Iceland's 'Brexit' Moment
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 T
567. Who Really Benefits from AI and Will Data Centres Decide the Midterms?
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?&n
Becoming Burnham: People Pleasing, The Shadow Years and Losing to Jeremy Corbyn
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 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
S
566. Carney vs. Trump and Alastair’s Advice for Burnham’s First PMQs
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 elections, and will Israel block them? With Andy Burnham preparing for his first Prime Minister's Questions, what advice does Alastair have on where Kemi Badenoch is most likely to strike?
565. Zelenskyy’s Corruption Problem and Is History Repeating Itself in Germany?
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 threat to Ukraine’s war effort? With the AfD on course to break through in state elections for the first time, is Germany's “firewall” against the far-right about to collapse?
Joi
Becoming Burnham: Thatcher, Hillsborough, and the Anger that Shaped Him | Part 1
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 Liverpool City Region to discuss…
Who really is Andy Burnham, and how is he going to change Britain? How have events like Hillsborough, and Thatcher’s Northern neglect shaped
564. Burnham’s Media Machine and West Bank Settler Impunity
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 Palestinians in the West Bank, and is Israel effectively annexing the territory? Should young people spend the last two weeks of their summer holidays thinking about the challenges fa
563. Britain’s Afghanistan Shame and the Jason Arday Tragedy
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 Russia's last liberal anti-war party been banned ahead of next month's Duma elections, and is it a sign of Putin's strength or his weakness? What does the media frenzy that engulfed Jason
Will Climate Action Go Backwards Under Burnham?
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 build data centres and protect the environment?
Join Alastair Campbell, Rory Stewart and Caroline Lucas as they discuss all of these questions and more.
To watch Caroline’
562. The Right’s War With Itself and Burnham’s Prisons Challenge
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 prisons at breaking point and reoffending rates soaring, why aren’t governments honest about the real causes of the crisis, or the solutions? As the Rhine falls to record lows and G
561. How Trump’s Chaos Keeps Splintering the World Order
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 Patriot missiles in Iran? With suspected Russian drones probing Europe, is the Kremlin about to test NATO like never before?
Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions
The Truth About Climate Migration – It's More Complicated Than You Think
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 really migrating because of changes in the climate? Who pays when a nation is destroyed by a crisis it didn't cause? And what does it cost, financially and emotionally, to le
560. Trump's Hamas Disarmament 'Deal' and Europe's FIFA Boycott
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 continuing to grow, why does the US President appear not to care? In the wake of the Gianni Infantino revelations, does the head of FIFA actually hate football?
Join Rory and Alastair as th
559. Who Really Benefits from the Ceuta Migration Crisis?
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 the world, from Donald Trump to Elon Musk and Giorgia Meloni, all weigh in?
Alastair and Rory are joined by immigration expert Gerald Knaus as they answer all these questions and m
Data Centres vs. Drinking Water: What Matters To Us Most?
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’, could we ever be in a situation where data centre water supply is prioritised over the water that comes out of our taps? Why do we no have clear data that tells just how much water
558. The 'Cockroach' Uprising and Should We Stop Data Centres?
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 proliferation across the Middle East and beyond? If AI data centres are the foundation of future defence and security, can Britain build them without wrecking its water supplies and c
557. Can Burnham Deliver Britain's Biggest Change in Generations?
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 betrayal of the working-class kids who have the most to gain from a rigorous academic education? As wildfires tear through France and Spain, have we already passed the climate and nature ti
Britain's Ticking Time Bomb: The Food Security Crisis
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?
This week, Caroline Lucas sits down with food security expert, Professor Paul Behrens from the University of Oxford.
To hear the full episode and the whole series as it drops, si
556. The US-China AI Arms Race and Badenoch vs. Rory’s Centrism
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 sacked his popular defence minister just as Ukraine is winning on the battlefield? Does Kemi Badenoch’s purge of Rory-adjacent centrists from the Conservative Party show she is even mor
555. Burnham’s Cabinet Purge and the Rough Sleeping Pledge
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 project to become Foreign Secretary? Can Burnham end rough sleeping nationally, after struggling to do so in Manchester?
Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and
The Secret Security Threat The Government Don’t Want Us To Know
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, water scarcity and increased risk of conflict? And, ultimately, why has this not become a bigger conversation among politicians?
Sign up here to watch the whole episode and the re
554. Burnham’s Worldview, Trump's Ceasefire Collapse, and Advising Count Binface
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 missile programme to fomenting revolution - turn out to be wrong? What advice does Alastair have for Count Binface in his fight against Nigel Farage in Clacton?
Join Rory and Alasta
553. Farage in Meltdown and The Killing of Ann Widdecombe
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 to weaponise her death? Was Rory Stewart aware of any of this during his twelve day silent retreat?
Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more.
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E
552. Trump's Red Card Saga and Germany's Far-Right Machine
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 many Americans struggle to get by? Is Germany's firewall against the far right about to fall – and is the billionaire owner of the Telegraph pushing it over?
Join Alastair and Mehd
551. Will Farage’s Trumpian Resignation Stunt Backfire?
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 swallowed Keir Starmer?
Join Alastair and Mehdi Hasan as they answer all these questions and more in this week's edition of Question Time.
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550. Will Farage's Extreme Wealth Be His Downfall?
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"?
Join Alastair and Cat Neilan, journalist at the Observer, as they answer all these questions and more.
To hear the whole of "Who Funds Reform?", sign up here at therestispoli
549. Mamdani’s Wrecking Ball and the Rise of Anti-Migrant Vigilantes
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 similar be done in the UK? Are the anti-migrant protests and vigilantes in South Africa unique to the region, or part of a global populist pattern of scapegoating migrants for the failures
548. Burnham vs. Westminster and Trump’s Next Target
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 all these questions and more.
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547. The Truth About Russian Oil, Net Zero, and North Sea Drilling
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 Russian oil? Is North Sea drilling for oil and gas a matter of national security, or an environmentally reckless fantasy?
Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions a
546. Keir Starmer Resigns: What Happens Next?
What does Keir’s Starmer’s exit as Prime Minister and leader of the Labour party mean for the UK? After his thumping victory against Reform UK last week, will Andy Burnham face a contest or a coronation on his path to becoming the country’s seventh prime minister since the Brexit referendum? What challenges will Burnham face in his attempt to turn things around for Labour and last longer than his
545. Burnham Beats Reform: Britain’s Next Prime Minister?
Has Andy Burnham’s huge victory against Reform in Makerfield shown the Labour Party how it can beat Farage? What does this defeat mean for the right, and how tricky will the coming months be for Andy Burnham? What does the Tory victory against the SNP in Aberdeen mean for British energy policy?
Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more.
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544. How Trump Is Weaponising AI and Martial Arts at the White House
Has Britain become a “vassal” state, dangerously dependent on the US for our most vital national security capabilities? What does Trump’s martial arts birthday event on the White House lawn tell us about the “banalisation” of his presidency in politics and the media? Will Alastair u-turn on his boycott of the World Cup and travel to the Americas if Scotland go far in the controversial competition?
543. The Disaster Britain Still Can't Escape and Trump’s Iran ‘Deal’
What is the true cost of Brexit? How have British and European far-right politics evolved since the historic Brexit referendum, and can liberal democracy survive it? Is it possible to see Trump’s Iran ‘deal’ as anything other than a defeat for the US?
Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more.
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542. Starmer Loses His Defence Secretary: What Next?
What does John Healey's shock resignation mean for Keir Starmer, whose position is already on the line ahead of Andy Burnham's crunch by-election in Makerfield? Who might replace Healey in one of the most important jobs in government, at one of the most dangerous moments in the UK's history? With NATO allies demanding higher spending on defence and Trump's America growing ever more unpredictable,
541. Trump’s World Cup Mess and Kushner’s Albania Deal
As the Trump administration blocks a referee from entering the US, is this the most political world cup of all time, and just how messy will it get? Can the Democrats flip the Senate, and would it actually stop Trump? Is Jared Kushner turning the Balkans into his personal property portfolio?
Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more in this week's edition of Question Ti
540. The Untold Iran Crisis, Henry Nowak, and Farage’s Politics of Rage
As Trump’s Iran disaster continues, are we facing a full-blown energy and economic crisis in the UK and beyond? Why are politicians refusing to be honest about the real cost of the Iran crisis? What does the far-right’s response to the Henry Nowak tragedy – from JD Vance to Rupert Lowe – tell us about post-truth populism?
Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more.
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539. Embezzlement, the Mandelson Texts, and Hasan Piker's UK Ban
What does the SNP embezzlement case reveal about how scandal-ridden British politics is? Is the banning of prominent left-wing American commentators Hasan Piker and Cenk Uygur a sensible decision or a serious threat to free speech? After Rory and Alastair discussed their most “evil” handshakes last week, who is the most “angelic” person they have each shaken hands with?
Join Rory and Alastair a
538. The Pope’s AI Warning and Alastair Reacts to Blair’s Attack
Is Pope Leo’s encyclical the most important contribution to the AI debate so far, and is he doing more to hold Silicon Valley to account than any Western government? What did Alastair say to Tony Blair about his explosive essay attacking the direction of Starmer’s government, the Labour Party, and net zero? Why does Rory think Blair is now closer to JD Vance than to the values that defined New Lab
Who Funds Reform? The Missing Millions
Who is the secretive billionaire bankrolling Reform — and what does he want? How did a brand new party raise and spend £17 million with no public explanation? As Farage inches toward power, who's really pulling the strings?
This four part series, made in collaboration with The Observer’s Slow Newscast will explore the money, donors and power networks behind Reform UK.
To hear all four episo
537. Indicting Trump, Israeli Prisons, and Rory vs. Ed Miliband
What connects Trump’s Cuba blockade and Ben Gvir’s abuse of flotilla activists? As Richard Tice denies climate change science, will reality catch up with Reform UK – and what is Rory’s issue with Ed Miliband’s approach to net zero? Who is the most evil person Rory and Alastair have ever shaken hands with?
Join Alastair and Rory as they answer all these questions and more in this week's edition
536. Is Trump’s Corruption Machine Reaching New Extremes?
Has the scale of Donald J. Trump’s corruption become too big to prosecute? Is the US Constitution now a roadmap to tyranny instead of a protection against it? Why do 72% of Gen Z think things will only get worse, and can mainstream politics win them back?
Join Alastair and Rory as they answer all these questions and more.
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Struggling or Snowflakes? The Gen Z Mental Health Story
What's behind the rise in young people being diagnosed with mental health problems? Are members of Gen Z less resilient than older generations? Or are they a product of a society that has failed them? Has therapy culture gone too far? Or not far enough? Why are so many young people out of work? Is it laziness? Is something deeper at play?
This week in The Gen Z Story, Vicky Spratt is joined by
535. The Ebola Outbreak and the British Far-Right’s Next Move
Are Xi and Putin playing Trump? How serious is the new Ebola outbreak, especially after Trump's and Britain's severe cuts to international aid? With Tommy Robinson explicitly telling his supporters to support Reform UK, the Conservative Party, and other right-wing parties ahead of 2029, is this a deliberate strategy to infiltrate mainstream politics and normalise far-right extremism?
Join Rory
534. Is Wes Streeting Trying to Sabotage Andy Burnham?
By re-igniting the Brexit debate, is Wes Streeting deliberately trying to sabotage Andy Burnham's chances in a Leave-voting area, or is he forcing Labour to finally confront reality? Does Hungary's new leader Magyar offer a playbook for defeating Reform UK – by exposing Farage's wealth, mysterious funding sources, and corruption? Is Gary Stevenson correct to say the centre-left is relying on outda
533. Andy Burnham's Big Gamble: Can He Beat Reform?
What is Alastair’s plea to Labour politicians, after this week’s turmoil? After Wes Streeting’s resignation from the cabinet, will he still run against the ‘King of the North’, Andy Burnham, and how bruising would a leadership contest be for the government? How risky is this for Burnham, and can he beat Reform in Greater Manchester?
Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and
532. The Trump-Xi Showdown and Putin’s Conscription Con
As Trump becomes the first American president to visit China in nearly a decade, will the summit bring any positive developments, or will it further deepen global disorder? Will Trump sacrifice Taiwan's security to gain concessions from Xi on Iran? With Russia losing 30,000 troops per month and Putin resorting to deceiving African workers into combat, are his war efforts finally collapsing?
Joi
531. Starmer on the Brink: What Next?
As Starmer’s cabinet begin turning against him, how long can he cling on to power? By challenging Starmer without a clear plan for what comes next, are Labour MPs unleashing a chaos they cannot control? As Wales and Scotland shift dramatically towards Plaid Cymru, the Scottish National Party, and Reform UK – are we witnessing the end of both Labour and the Conservatives as national parties?
Joi
Enraged or Engaged? Angela Rayner on The Gen Z Story
Former Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner, joins Alastair Campbell and Vicky Spratt to discuss the Gen Z story as she sees it. Listen to hear her thoughts on the success of The Green Party, the allure of characters like Gary Stevenson and Zack Polanski, the hopelessness of young people, the danger of binary politics and short-term thinking, as well as her push for the government to reconnect wit
Divided or Dependent? The Real Gen Z Story
Are the challenges faced by Gen Z unique or have we seen them before? Do workplaces need a Gen Z strategy, or is there something bigger at play? And, why does it feel like young people's attitudes are becoming more traditional?
Vicky Spratt, investigates the question: How bad are things really for young people? This week she is joined by generations expert, Professor Bobby Duffy.
To hear th
530. Is Starmer the Next Joe Biden? Rory and Alastair React to Local Elections
Will Keir Starmer survive presiding over seismic Labour losses in the local elections, and if he doesn’t who should replace him? Do historic Reform and Green wins for Farage and Polanski confirm the death of two-party politics in the UK? Did the Ed Davey’s Lib Dems and Kemi Badenoch’s Conservatives actually perform better than expected?
Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions
529. Antisemitism, Polarisation, and How the King Outplayed Trump
How is polarisation fuelling antisemitism, and how should religious and political leaders respond? What can politicians learn from the King’s speech to Congress about how to challenge Trump? Is Russia's security partnership model collapsing across Africa?
Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more in this week's edition of Question Time.
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Our new student disc
528. Trump vs. Germany and Farage’s £5m ‘Gift’
As Trump threatens to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany, has European appeasement of Trump officially failed? Will historic local election losses for Labour trigger a change of Prime Minister? Why has Nigel Farage faced such little scrutiny on his £5 million ‘gift’ from a Thai-based crypto billionaire?
Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more.
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Our new
Lucky or Left Behind? The Gen Z Money Story
Is Gen Z the most informed generation in history, or the most financially trapped? Is a university degree still worth it, or have we sent too many people to study the wrong things? Has Britain gone from a meritocracy to an inheritocracy, where the “Bank of Mum and Dad” are more essential than ever?
Vicky Spratt, Housing and Society Correspondent, investigates the Gen Z story and how bad are th
