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The Rest Is Politics: Leading

The Rest Is Politics: Leading

Goalhanger 194 episodes Nov 9, 2026

The Rest Is Politics: Leading is a podcast where Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart interview politicians, leaders, intellectuals, and more. Guests discuss life, leadership, and the philosophy that has led them to success in their chosen field. The conversations cover key political events, global affairs, and big ideas shaping the world today, offering in-depth perspectives from those at the heart of change.

Episodes

214. What Can The UK Learn From How South Africa Ended Apartheid? (Paul van Zyl)
214. What Can The UK Learn From How South Africa Ended Apartheid? (Paul van Zyl) Nov 9, 2026 58:22 How can politicians rebuild trust after decades of division? How do you get political enemies to sit down at the same table? What are some of Nelson Mandela's best - and funniest - moments? Alastair Campbell is joined by Paul van Zyl, who served as the Executive Secretary of South Africa's post-apartheid Truth and Reconciliation Commission from 1995 to 1998, to answer all these questions and mo
213. How Xi Jinping Really Thinks | China Expert Kevin Rudd
213. How Xi Jinping Really Thinks | China Expert Kevin Rudd Nov 2, 2026 1:03:47 What do Xi Jinping and Donald Trump actually want? How much does Beijing back Putin, and could it ever pressure him over Ukraine? How likely is a conflict over Taiwan, and when could it be? Rory and Alastair are joined by the prior Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd, to answer all these questions and more. __________ Search IG.com to find out more and/or Look for IG in your app store. _
212. What Happens When The World Stops Trusting America? (Michael Lewis)
212. What Happens When The World Stops Trusting America? (Michael Lewis) Oct 26, 2026 58:33 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 Trump do if he loses the midterms? Alastair and Rory are joined by Michael Lewis, author of The Big Short, Moneyball and the new book Blockers, to answer all these questions and more.
211. Trump's Niece on Why He's On Putin's Side
211. Trump's Niece on Why He's On Putin's Side Oct 18, 2026 54:59 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, Donald Trump’s niece and a clinical psychologist, to discuss all these questions and more. __________ Search IG.com to find out more and/or Look for IG in your app store. ________
210.  Rory and Alastair Interview Prime Minister Andy Burnham
210. Rory and Alastair Interview Prime Minister Andy Burnham Oct 11, 2026 1:14:36 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 meetings following the Manchester City scandal? Alastair and Rory are joined by Andy Burnham, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, to answer all these questions and more. ______
209. Shabana Mahmood: Palestine Action, Faith, and What I Told Starmer
209. Shabana Mahmood: Palestine Action, Faith, and What I Told Starmer Oct 4, 2026 1:17:39 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, Shabana Mahmood, to answer all this and more. Search IG.com to find out more and/or Look for IG in your app store. For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to goalhanger.com Insta
208. Mustafa Suleyman: Is AI Actually Conscious?
208. Mustafa Suleyman: Is AI Actually Conscious? Sep 27, 2026 1:06:20 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, and co-founder and former head of AI at DeepMind, Mustafa Suleyman, joins Rory Stewart to discuss all this and more. If you'd like to listen to more of Mustafa Suleyman and his
207. Gordon Brown: How to Fix a Fracturing World
207. Gordon Brown: How to Fix a Fracturing World Sep 20, 2026 56:59 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 powers come together to rival the strength of China and the USA? Former Prime Minister of the UK, Gordon Brown, joins Rory and Alastair to discuss all this and more. Search IG.com
206. How Putin's War Changed Finland Forever (Sanna Marin)
206. How Putin's War Changed Finland Forever (Sanna Marin) Sep 13, 2026 58:45 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 private party become a national and international story? Rory and Alastair are joined by former Prime Minister of Finland, Sanna Marin, to discuss all this and more. __________ S
205. Anthony Scaramucci: Why America Keeps Making the Same Mistakes
205. Anthony Scaramucci: Why America Keeps Making the Same Mistakes Sep 6, 2026 1:00:53 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 the way for Donald Trump's electoral victories? As Trump's second term reaches its halfway point, is America about to bankrupt itself? Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart are joined b
204. Will a Wealth Tax Actually Fix Britain? (Dan Neidle)
204. Will a Wealth Tax Actually Fix Britain? (Dan Neidle) Aug 30, 2026 1:06:35 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 Zahawi's tax affairs? Can a wealth tax really raise the money Britain needs, or is it a seductive slogan that promises far more than it can deliver? Alastair Campbell and Rory Stew
203. The Man Taking On Infantino: UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin
203. The Man Taking On Infantino: UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin Aug 23, 2026 50:46 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 put him there? What does Infantino's courtship of Donald Trump - from the FIFA "Peace Prize" to the World Cup red card scandal  - reveal about the collision of football and polit

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