Episodes

Episodes

• Becoming Burnham: The Manchester Arena Call, Westminster Plotting, and Keir vs Andy 2026-09-03
  To hear the full episode, and the whole series, sign up at therestispolitics.com How did Andy Burnham learn about the Manchester Arena bombing?…
• 568. MAGA's Plan to Make Britain Look Broken and Iceland's 'Brexit' Moment 2026-09-02
  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…
• 567. Who Really Benefits from AI and Will Data Centres Decide the Midterms? 2026-09-01
  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,…
• Becoming Burnham: People Pleasing, The Shadow Years and Losing to Jeremy Corbyn 2026-08-27
  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…
• 566. Carney vs. Trump and Alastair’s Advice for Burnham’s First PMQs 2026-08-26
  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…
• 565. Zelenskyy’s Corruption Problem and Is History Repeating Itself in Germany? 2026-08-25
  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…
• Becoming Burnham: Thatcher, Hillsborough, and the Anger that Shaped Him | Part 1 2026-08-20
  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,…
• 564. Burnham’s Media Machine and West Bank Settler Impunity 2026-08-19
  Is Burnham’s Britain’s first ‘TikTok Prime Minister’ and what does that mean for accountability, old-fashioned journalism, and the Westminster…
• 563. Britain’s Afghanistan Shame and the Jason Arday Tragedy 2026-08-18
  Five years after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Taliban takeover, why has not a single Western government marked the anniversary of a…
• Will Climate Action Go Backwards Under Burnham? 2026-08-13
  Should Andy Burnham deliver a covid style national emergency briefing to inform the public about the climate emergency? How do we foster cross-party…
• 562. The Right’s War With Itself and Burnham’s Prisons Challenge 2026-08-12
  With Nigel Farage and Rupert Lowe trading blows, is the British right tearing itself apart, and will Kemi Badenoch destroy the Conservative Party by…
• 561. How Trump’s Chaos Keeps Splintering the World Order 2026-08-11
  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…
• The Truth About Climate Migration – It's More Complicated Than You Think 2026-08-06
  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…
• 560. Trump's Hamas Disarmament 'Deal' and Europe's FIFA Boycott 2026-08-05
  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…
• 559. Who Really Benefits from the Ceuta Migration Crisis? 2026-08-04
  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…
• Data Centres vs. Drinking Water: What Matters To Us Most? 2026-07-30
  To hear the full episode, which includes an interview with global water expert, Sandra Postel, sign up at the therestispolitics.com With the…
• 558. The 'Cockroach' Uprising and Should We Stop Data Centres? 2026-07-29
  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…
• 557. Can Burnham Deliver Britain's Biggest Change in Generations? 2026-07-28
  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…
• Britain's Ticking Time Bomb: The Food Security Crisis 2026-07-23
  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…
• 556. The US-China AI Arms Race and Badenoch vs. Rory’s Centrism 2026-07-22
  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…
• 555. Burnham’s Cabinet Purge and the Rough Sleeping Pledge 2026-07-21
  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?…
• The Secret Security Threat The Government Don’t Want Us To Know 2026-07-16
  Why did the government suppress a report written by senior intelligence officials which named climate and nature collapse as a national security…
• 554. Burnham’s Worldview, Trump's Ceasefire Collapse, and Advising Count Binface 2026-07-15
  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…
• 553. Farage in Meltdown and The Killing of Ann Widdecombe 2026-07-14
  Has Nigel Farage finally hit his tipping point, and could Count Binface deliver the ultimate humiliation in Clacton? Why are police warning against…
• 552. Trump's Red Card Saga and Germany's Far-Right Machine 2026-07-08
  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…
• 551. Will Farage’s Trumpian Resignation Stunt Backfire? 2026-07-07
  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…
• 550. Will Farage's Extreme Wealth Be His Downfall? 2026-07-02
  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…
• 549. Mamdani’s Wrecking Ball and the Rise of Anti-Migrant Vigilantes 2026-07-01
  Is Zohran Mamdani becoming much more than a mayor and effectively running a shadow presidential campaign through the candidates he's backing? How…
• 548. Burnham vs. Westminster and Trump’s Next Target 2026-06-30
  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…
• 547. The Truth About Russian Oil, Net Zero, and North Sea Drilling 2026-06-24
  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”…
• 546. Keir Starmer Resigns: What Happens Next? 2026-06-22
  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…
• 545. Burnham Beats Reform: Britain’s Next Prime Minister? 2026-06-19
  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…
• 544. How Trump Is Weaponising AI and Martial Arts at the White House 2026-06-17
  Has Britain become a “vassal” state, dangerously dependent on the US for our most vital national security capabilities? What does Trump’s martial…
• 543. The Disaster Britain Still Can't Escape and Trump’s Iran ‘Deal’ 2026-06-16
  What is the true cost of Brexit? How have British and European far-right politics evolved since the historic Brexit referendum, and can liberal…
• 542. Starmer Loses His Defence Secretary: What Next? 2026-06-11
  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…
• 541. Trump’s World Cup Mess and Kushner’s Albania Deal 2026-06-10
  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?…
• 540. The Untold Iran Crisis, Henry Nowak, and Farage’s Politics of Rage 2026-06-09
  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…
• 539. Embezzlement, the Mandelson Texts, and Hasan Piker's UK Ban 2026-06-03
  What does the SNP embezzlement case reveal about how scandal-ridden British politics is? Is the banning of prominent left-wing American commentators…
• Who Funds Reform? The Missing Millions 2026-05-28
  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…
• 537. Indicting Trump, Israeli Prisons, and Rory vs. Ed Miliband 2026-05-27
  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…
• 536. Is Trump’s Corruption Machine Reaching New Extremes? 2026-05-26
  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…
• Struggling or Snowflakes? The Gen Z Mental Health Story 2026-05-21
  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…
• 535. The Ebola Outbreak and the British Far-Right’s Next Move 2026-05-20
  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…
• 534. Is Wes Streeting Trying to Sabotage Andy Burnham? 2026-05-19
  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…
• 533. Andy Burnham's Big Gamble: Can He Beat Reform? 2026-05-14
  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…
• 532. The Trump-Xi Showdown and Putin’s Conscription Con 2026-05-13
  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…
• 531. Starmer on the Brink: What Next? 2026-05-12
  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,…
• Enraged or Engaged? Angela Rayner on The Gen Z Story 2026-05-11
  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…
• Divided or Dependent? The Real Gen Z Story 2026-05-09
  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?…
• 530. Is Starmer the Next Joe Biden? Rory and Alastair React to Local Elections 2026-05-08
  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…
• 529. Antisemitism, Polarisation, and How the King Outplayed Trump 2026-05-06
  How is polarisation fuelling antisemitism, and how should religious and political leaders respond? What can politicians learn from the King’s speech…
• 528. Trump vs. Germany and Farage’s £5m ‘Gift’ 2026-05-05
  As Trump threatens to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany, has European appeasement of Trump officially failed? Will historic local election losses…
• Lucky or Left Behind? The Gen Z Money Story 2026-04-30
  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…
• 527. Are American Tech Billionaires Threatening British Democracy? 2026-04-29
  Given Palantir’s controversial manifesto – described by some as having “techno-fascist” tendencies – why is the UK Government expanding its work…
• 526. Trump's Orwellian Maths and the King's Special Relationship Mission 2026-04-28
  Is the so-called ‘special relationship’ between America and Britain already broken, and is it even worth saving? How can the UK and Europe achieve…
• 524. Starmer’s Mandelson Mess and the Iranian Nuclear Threat 2026-04-21
  Did Starmer show a fatal lack of judgement and curiosity about Peter Mandelson’s suitability for public office? How and why did Trump destroy years…
• 523. The Starmer-Mandelson Scandal: Lying or Incompetence? 2026-04-17
  Can Starmer survive if it emerges he was previously told about Mandelson's failed vetting? Is he developing a pattern of blaming others when things…
• Beating Populism: How To Fight Back 2026-04-16
  Are we living in a 1930s moment in history? How can leaders fight back against populism? And is Franklin D Roosevelt the answer? Join Alastair…
• 521. Trump’s Naval Blockade: Is America Becoming a Rogue State? 2026-04-14
  As Trump unleashes yet more global economic turmoil with his aggressive Strait of Hormuz blockade, is he creating a state of ‘permanent emergency’…
• 520. Orbán Ousted: Is The Tide Turning Against Far-Right Populism? 2026-04-13
  Does Hungary ousting its far-right prime minister prove rightwing populists and autocrats can be beaten around the world, from Trump and Farage to…
• 518. Is Trump a Fascist and is His War on Iran Unwinnable? 2026-04-07
  Has Trump crossed the line from right-wing populist to fascist? Is he fighting a war with Iran he cannot win? Is Iraq being dragged in against its…
• The Real Reasons Populism Is Taking Over 2026-04-02
  What is populism, and why is it so attractive to voters? Which human instincts do populists tap into to get votes? And what does a populist-led…
• 516. Trump’s Iran Delusion and the Limits of American Power 2026-03-31
  Why has opposition to the Iran war been so muted within Trump’s America, and how is the US uniquely insulated from the worst impacts of the war? Do…
• Nineteen Eighty-Four: Dominic Sandbrook on Big Brother, Surveillance, and Fear (The Book Club) 2026-03-29
  Why is 1984 as relevant today as when it was published? Who is Big Brother, and why is he so powerful? What was George Orwell's intention when…
• 514. Who Is Profiting from Trump's Iran Catastrophe? 2026-03-25
  Are Russia, Israel, and Iran itself the real winners from Trump and Netanyahu’s war? Is Starmer right to resist more British involvement in the war?…
• 512. Trump’s Iran Disaster and the GB News Propaganda Machine 2026-03-18
  Is Russia the biggest winner from Trump’s war with Iran? Is GB News little more than a propaganda machine for Reform UK? How toxic is England's…
• 510. How The Iran War Is Spiralling Into a Global Crisis 2026-03-09
  Has Trump unleashed a sequence of events nobody in the world can control? How serious are the global consequences? Is this war even more dangerous…
• The Future of Warfare: Anthropic vs OpenAI 2026-03-05
  Is Europe sleepwalking into American AI dependency? Are we building toward a world where AI genuinely thinks for itself? And as AI becomes the…
• 508. Is Starmer Sleepwalking into War with Iran? 2026-03-04
  Is Keir Starmer sleepwalking into a war Britain never agreed to fight? What are Trump's real objectives in attacking Iran? How far will Iran's…
• 506. Trump Attacks Iran: What Happens Now? 2026-02-28
  As Tehran launches retaliatory strikes against Israel and US military bases, how dangerous is this moment for the Middle East and the wider world?…
• 505. Are Trump and Putin Underestimating Ukraine? 2026-02-25
  On the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, what's the reality on the ground? Why is Trump still calling the shots on…
• Why Trump Wants Greenland 2026-02-23
  Why has Donald Trump considered invading Greenland? How does he think it will benefit him? What is the role of China in the Arctic? And what animals…
• 503. Andrew’s Arrest: What Next? 2026-02-19
  Why has the disgraced Andrew Mountbatten Windsor been arrested? How damaging is this unprecedented moment for the royal family? How effective was…
• 501. Is Starmer Too Soft on Trump? Inside the Munich Security Conference 2026-02-16
  Why did Trump's Secretary of State Marco Rubio 'love bomb' Europe at the Munich Security Conference, and how did it compare to JD Vance's infamous…
• The Battle for the Arctic 2026-02-13
  One of the most important political issues of our time - the battle for the Arctic. Why is Russia so dominant there? Why does Trump really want…
• 499. Is It Game Over for Starmer? 2026-02-09
  As Starmer begins to lose his key aides and allies, is his departure from Number 10 now a matter of when, not if? Is the UK actually becoming…
• 496. Mandelson’s Disgrace: How Epstein Poisoned Our Politics 2026-02-03
  What do Peter Mandelson's ties to Jefferey Epstein reveal about the influence of the rich and powerful in British politics? Why did so many…
• 494. Carney’s Trump Fightback and the Starmer-Burnham Fallout 2026-01-28
  Can the 'middle powers' escape Trump's grip and build a world beyond American and Chinese dominance? What is the 'Board of Peace' and why is Trump…
• What If the AI Revolution Isn’t Real? 2026-01-25
  Is AI a revolution, or just another slow-moving general technology? Are we mistaking hype for inevitability? And, can a technology this unreliable…
• 493. Trump Insults NATO Troops 2026-01-23
  Why has Trump chosen to denigrate the sacrifice of allied soldiers? Are Keir Starmer and other NATO leaders finally reaching a breaking point with…