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The Rest Is Politics

Goalhanger
Donald Trump
Ukraine
China
Israel
Iran
Gaza
Labour Party
Keir Starmer
European Union
Russia
United States
Artificial Intelligence
Nigel Farage
JD Vance
Brexit
NATO
Andy Burnham
Trump
Rupert Murdoch
Climate Change

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, en... more

PublishesDailyEpisodes646Founded4 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
PoliticsGovernmentNews

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Latest Episodes

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 th... more

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 r... more

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 su... more

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 chan... more

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Recent Guests

Alex Randall
Leading expert in climate-driven migration and displacement
Climate Outreach
Episode: The Truth About Climate Migration – It's More Complicated Than You Think
Aminath Shauna
Former Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Technology in the Maldives
Maldives Government (former)
Episode: The Truth About Climate Migration – It's More Complicated Than You Think
Count Binface
Comedic political candidate who ran for Parliament
Independent candidate (satirical campaign)
Episode: 560. Trump's Hamas Disarmament 'Deal' and Europe's FIFA Boycott
Gerald Knaus
Migration policy expert; founder of the European Stability Initiative
European Stability Initiative
Episode: 559. Who Really Benefits from the Ceuta Migration Crisis?
Ollie Hayes
Campaigner with Global Action Plan UK
Global Action Plan UK
Episode: Data Centres vs. Drinking Water: What Matters To Us Most?
Paul Behrens
British Academy Global Professor at the University of Oxford; expert in food system transformation
University of Oxford
Episode: Britain's Ticking Time Bomb: The Food Security Crisis
Arthur Snell
former British diplomat and security expert
Diplomacy/Security
Episode: The Secret Security Threat The Government Don’t Want Us To Know
Richard Nugee
former senior British Army officer, Lieutenant General
British Army
Episode: The Secret Security Threat The Government Don’t Want Us To Know
Mehdi Hassan
Anglo-American journalist and co-host on the episode
Independent media / Al Jazeera English contributor
Episode: 552. Trump's Red Card Saga and Germany's Far-Right Machine

Hosts

Rory Stewart
Host and co-host with Alastair Campbell; long-running political commentator with grounding in Westminster and governance.
Alastair Campbell
Co-host; veteran political strategist and commentator with deep Westminster experience.

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 40.7k ratings
  • Brilliant. Helpful.

    Podcast Addict
    5
    VeryShari
    a month ago
  • Depends on a fragile alchemy

    Never again have Mehdi Hasan as co-host, please, since he wrecks the show’s voice, for the same reason that the American spinoff is cringe-inducing. This podcast has been wonderful precisely because Alastair is retired (and a long way from ever being ‘Malcolm Tucker’ again), and Rory has always been temperamentally an outsider. Neither of them is mindlessly ‘in the thick of it.’ Both are genuinely reflective. Both are able to fairly consider questions from outside the frenzied feeding zone insid... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Audrain
    United Statesa month ago
  • Repeat, repeat

    Can Alastair please stop repeating words. Especially at the start of sentences.

    But also, very much enjoying Mehdi.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    doublledd
    Australiaa month ago
  • Arrogant Mehdi Hasan

    How arrogant of Mehdi Hasan to say he knows why he doesn’t like Starmer but most people don’t know why they don’t! Personally for me it was making going after disabled benefits as a top priority.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Missnisssy
    United Kingdoma month ago
  • Heavily left leaning

    Too left leaning perspective and therefore very biased opinions. Need more moderate voices on this show.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Scarletshay
    Australia2 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Guests appreciate the depth and data-driven context of discussions.
The Gen Z coverage and outsider perspectives are a strong differentiator.
High-quality guests and timely topics are frequent positives.
Listeners value the candid, no-nonsense debates between hosts.
Some criticisms note perceived bias or imbalance in viewpoints.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

559. Who Really Benefits from the Ceuta Migration Crisis?
Q: How can the UK and other democracies rebuild public support for refugee protections while maintaining border control?
By communicating a clear, human-rights-compliant policy that demonstrates tangible control (returns to safe, democratic countries) alongside expanded legal pathways and resettlement, and by leveraging international cooperation to share responsibility.
559. Who Really Benefits from the Ceuta Migration Crisis?
Q: What should the European Union interior ministers do to address the small boat crisis in a humane and effective way?
He suggests a concrete plan: detain and process arrivals from the first of September, return them to EU countries, and simultaneously open legal migration routes, with partnerships to process asylum in safe third countries like Rwanda under UNHCR oversight.
559. Who Really Benefits from the Ceuta Migration Crisis?
Q: Final comment before we take a break, and then after the break, what should Shabana Mahmood be doing?
Gerald outlines a three-step approach: deter dangerous routes, make crossing seem futile, and open safe legal routes, including talks with Denmark, Sweden, and Austria to show Europe is the solution rather than the problem.
The Truth About Climate Migration – It's More Complicated Than You Think
Q: And so I wondered if you could give me your understanding of what the truth is behind those headlines.
The idea of a sudden, mass exodus due to climate change is a myth; migration is real and driven by multiple factors, but patterns are complex, often involving internal movement and shorter, safer routes rather than large-scale international displacement.
Britain's Ticking Time Bomb: The Food Security Crisis
Q: What do these reports imply for government policy and public communication about food security?
The guest explains that to mitigate risk, the government must publish and transparently discuss the full scope of vulnerabilities, embrace deeper changes to the food system, and actively communicate with the public to bring them on board with difficult policy shifts.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
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Interests
Professions
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Household Income
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Rest Is Politics

What is The Rest Is Politics about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A politics-focused show that blends sharp analysis with candid debates on current events in the UK and internationally. Episodes commonly probe political funding, leadership dynamics, and governance, while weaving in Gen Z perspectives and data-driven context from researchers and journalists. Noteworthy is the duo's willingness to challenge each other and guests alike, offering historical insight, cross-Atlantic parallels, and probing scrutiny of power, money, and policy. Listeners can expect balanced, argument-driven conversations that mix investigative context, personal anecdotes, and timely political theatre, often featuring guests ranging from donors and policymakers to academics and investigative reporters. This mix makes it helpful fo... more

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Which podcasts are similar to The Rest Is Politics?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Rest Is Politics:

1. The Rest Is Politics: Leading
2. The Rest Is Politics: US
3. The News Agents
4. The Rest Is Classified
5. The News Agents - USA

How many episodes of The Rest Is Politics are there?

The Rest Is Politics launched 4 years ago and published 646 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The Rest Is Politics?

Recent guests on The Rest Is Politics include:

1. Alex Randall
2. Aminath Shauna
3. Count Binface
4. Gerald Knaus
5. Ollie Hayes
6. Paul Behrens
7. Arthur Snell
8. Richard Nugee

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