Skip to content
Melo Podcasts Home
CategoriesLanguagesFollowing

Episode notes

Does the Leader of Scottish Labour regret calling for Keir Starmer to resign over his appointment of Peter Mandelson as US Ambassador? In the upcoming election, would he consider putting Scottish Labour into a coalition with the Reform Party to defeat the SNP? How does he plan to tackle the rise of Islamophobia and the politics of despair that are increasingly gripping Scotland and the UK? Rory and Alastair are joined by Anas Sarwar, Leader of the Labour Party in Scotland, to discuss all these questions and more. __________ Search IG.com to find out more and/or Look for IG in your app store.…

The Rest Is Politics: Leading

by Goalhanger · English · News

The Rest Is Politics’ Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart interview politicians, leaders, intellectuals, and more. From inside and outside of politics, guests join Rory and Alastair to discuss life, leadership, and the philosophy that’s led them to success in their chosen field.

More from The Rest Is Politics: Leading

  1. E188 · 10 May 2026 · 1 hr 8 min

    188. Will AI Give China or the US Total Power? (William MacAskill)

    Could artificial intelligence hand the US or China 99% of global economic and military power? What happens when millions of autonomous weapons systems are controlled by a single commander-in-chief? Has effective altruism's influence in Silicon Valley accelerated or slowed the race for artificial general intelligence? Alastair and Rory are joined by William MacAskill to discuss all this and more. __________ Search IG.com to find out more and/or Look for IG in your app store. You can purchase William MacAskill's book Doing Good Better here. __________ Instagram: @restispolitics Twitter:…

  2. E187 · 3 May 2026 · 1 hr 18 min

    187. Yanis Varoufakis: How The 2008 Crisis Revived Far-Right Populism

    Was the 2008 financial crisis as consequential as the 1929 Wall Street Crash? How did it pave the way for Trump, Brexit, and the rise of the far-right across Europe? Will the economic damage caused by Trump’s war with Iran outlast the conflict itself? Rory and Alastair are joined by Yanis Varoufakis to discuss all this and more. __________ Search IG.com to find out more and/or Look for IG in your app store. __________ Social Producer: Celine Charles Video Editor: Josh Smith Assistant Producer: Daisy Alston-Horne Senior Producer: Nicole Maslen Exec Producer: Chris Sawyer General Manager: Tom…

  3. E186 · 26 Apr 2026 · 1 hr 6 min

    186. President Aleksandar Vučić: Russia, China, and How Serbia Could Join the EU

    How does President Vučić justify Serbia's geopolitical balancing act between Russia, China, and the European Union? Why does he warn that if the EU further delays enlargement, the United States might seize the opportunity to build its own sphere of influence in Southeastern Europe? Can Serbia join the EU without recognising Kosovo's independence, and what would that mean for Europe's future? Rory and Alastair are joined by Aleksandar Vučić, President of Serbia, to discuss all this and more. __________________ Search IG.com to find out more and/or Look for IG in your app store.…

  4. E184 · 9 Apr 2026 · 52 min

    184. President of Ukraine: Volodymyr Zelenskyy

    At a time when the United States is threatening to withdraw from NATO, how can Europe maximise its power to deter Russia's threat? If Vladimir Putin were given the territory Donald Trump offered in his peace plan, what would his next move be? Why does the White House keep misunderstanding Putin’s real war aims? Alastair Campbell is joined by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, to discuss all this and more. __________ Search IG.com to find out more and/or Look for IG in your app store. __________ Social Producer: Celine Charles Video Editor: Vasco Andrade Videographer: James Clayden…

  5. E183 · 5 Apr 2026 · 1 hr 11 min

    183. From Bradford to Westminster: Faith, Identity, and Power (Naz Shah)

    How did Naz Shah’s experience growing up in Bradford and her experience with her family in the legal system influence her to go into politics? What does it mean for a political party to truly “stand for something” in modern Britain? How can faith influence politics in a secular society? Rory and Alastair are joined by Labour MP, Naz Shah, to discuss all this and more. __________ Search IG.com to find out more and/or Look for IG in your app store. __________ Social Producer: Celine Charles Video Editor: Josh Smith, Adam Thornton Producer: Alice Horrell Senior Producer: Nicole Maslen General…

  6. E182 · 29 Mar 2026 · 1 hr 5 min

    182. Culture Wars, Identity, and What Needs To Change In Congress (Sarah McBride)

    How are rights for trans people in the US improving or worsening under the Republican administration? What fundamentally needs to change in Congress to improve the state of politics? Are the Democrats doing enough to win back the American public? Rory and Alastair are joined by US Congresswoman, Sarah McBride, to answer all this and more. Search IG.com to find out more and/or Look for IG in your app store. Join The Rest Is Politics Plus: Start your free trial at therestispolitics.com to unlock exclusive bonus content – including Rory and Alastair’s miniseries – plus ad-free listening, early…

  7. E210 · 11 Oct 2026 · 1 hr 15 minNew

    210. Andy Burnham: My Relationship With Starmer, Brexit Lies and Emotion in Politics

    How will he change Britain’s relationship with the EU? Why has he agreed to publish details of meetings following the Manchester City scandal? With the Trump administration planning to livestream a firing squad execution, should the UK take a stand? Alastair and Rory are joined by Andy Burnham, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, to answer all these questions and more. __________ To listen to our series Becoming Burnham, with Alastair Campbell and Burnham’s closest confidant, friend and former colleague Steve Rotheram – the Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region — go to…

  8. E209 · 4 Oct 2026 · 1 hr 18 min

    209. Shabana Mahmood: Palestine Action, Faith, and What I Told Starmer

    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 Instagram: @restispolitics Twitter: @restispolitics Email: therestispolitics@goalhanger.com __________ Social Producer: Celine Charles Video Editor: Kieron Leslie Assistant Producer: Daisy Alston-Horne Senior…

  9. E208 · 27 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 6 min

    208. Mustafa Suleyman: Is AI Actually Conscious?

    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 backstory, click here to find our previous interview with him from 2023. Search IG.com to find out more and/or Look for IG in your app store. For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to goalhanger.com…

  10. E207 · 20 Sep 2026 · 57 min

    207. Gordon Brown: How to Fix a Fracturing World

    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 to find out more and/or Look for IG in your app store. For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to goalhanger.com Instagram: @restispolitics Twitter: @restispolitics Email: therestispolitics@goalhanger.com…

Every episode of The Rest Is Politics: Leading →

Take it with you

The Melo app keeps playing with the screen off, works in the car and on your watch, wakes you to your station, and browses the whole catalogue offline. Free, no ads, no account.

Get it on Google Play