The Rest is Politics
The Rest is Politics is a British podcast hosted by Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart.[1][2] It launched in March 2022,[3] and has since been one of the leading political podcasts in the United Kingdom.[2] The podcast is produced by Goalhanger Podcasts.[3][4] Campbell and Stewart generally discuss contemporary news and politics.
| The Rest is Politics | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Presentation | |
| Hosted by | Alastair Campbell Rory Stewart |
| Genre | Talk |
| Format |
|
| Language | English |
| Length | 30-50 minutes |
| Publication | |
| Original release | 2 March 2022 – present |
Background
Both Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart are former political figures, and both have been expelled from their respective parties for their opposition to more extreme elements in them. Their podcast is aimed at "disagreeing agreeably", seeking a more temperate and informed political debate.[5]
Campbell is a journalist, political strategist, and mental health activist, known for his work as communications chief for Tony Blair. A former member of the Labour Party, Campbell was expelled after having voted for the Liberal Democrats in the 2019 European elections.[6]
Stewart is a diplomat, author, soldier, and politician. He served as Conservative international development secretary and prisons minister under Theresa May. He represented Penrith and The Border in the House of Commons for around nine years. In 2019, after Boris Johnson was elected leader of the Conservatives, Stewart resigned from the cabinet. Subsequently, having rebelled against Johnson's approach to Brexit, he was expelled from the parliamentary party. He later resigned his party membership as well.[7]
Goalhanger is owned by former England footballer Gary Lineker, and also produces the podcast The Rest is History, hosted by Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland.[8]
Format
The podcast ordinarily releases two episodes every week: a "main" episode and a "question time" episode. The main episodes last around 30 to 50 minutes, and involve Campbell and Stewart discussing contemporary events and news stories, mostly from the United Kingdom. During the question time episodes, they answer questions from listeners. The questions are not limited to topics formerly discussed on the podcast, and include news stories not discussed on the main episodes as well as the hosts' political careers.
On some occasions, the podcast releases "emergency" episodes, reacting to major news events, such as the resignations of Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid[9] and the dismissal of Kwasi Kwarteng.[10]
Special guests
The podcast also hosts special guests, interviewing active and retired politicians on their careers and current events. The following public figures have been interviewed on the podcasts' special episodes:
The Rest is Politics: Leading
In January 2023, Goalhanger began a new podcast series, "The Rest is Politics: Leading", for Campbell and Stewart to interview their special guests and to invite non-political figures as guests:
| No | Special guest | Running time | Original airdate | Link | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Heseltine | 48:33 | January 16, 2023 | link at Apple Podcasts | |
| Former UK deputy prime minister Michael Heseltine discusses premierships of Margaret Thatcher and Rishi Sunak, Brexit, and UK miners' strike of 1984–85. | |||||
| 2 | Marina Litvinenko | 48:27 | January 23, 2023 | link at Apple Podcasts | |
| Widow of murdered British-naturalised Russian defector and Putin critic Alexander Litvinenko discusses her husband's poisoning and death, Vladimir Putin, and the invasion of Ukraine. | |||||
| 3 | Alan Milburn | 55:16 | January 30, 2023 | link at Apple Podcasts | |
| Former UK health secretary Milburn discusses NHS crisis and nurses' strikes, his tenure in Tony Blair's government, New Labour, and his upbringing. | |||||
| 4 | Michel Barnier | 41:25 | February 6, 2023 | link at Apple Podcasts | |
| EU Brexit chief negotiator Michel Barnier discusses Brexit and his career in French politics. | |||||
| 5 | Michael Johnson | 41:43 | February 13, 2023 | link at Apple Podcasts | |
| American sprinter and Olympic Games medalist Michael Johnson discusses future of athletics, taking the knee, and doping in sport. | |||||
| 6 | David Lammy | 56:35 | February 20, 2023 | link at Apple Podcasts | |
| UK shadow foreign secretary David Lammy discusses Brexit, international development, and his upbringing. | |||||
| 7 | Fiona Hill | 55:40 | February 27, 2023 | link at Apple Podcasts | |
| British-American foreign affairs specialist Fiona Hill discusses her upbringing in Bishop Auckland, the Ukraine conflict, and her work in the Trump Administration. | |||||
| 8 | Bertie Ahern | 52:18 | March 6, 2023 | link at Apple Podcasts | |
| Former Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern discusses his father's involvement in the anti-Treaty IRA, his own contribution to the Good Friday Agreement, and Northern Ireland peace process. | |||||
| 9 | Bernie Sanders | 40:11 | March 13, 2023 | link at Apple Podcasts | |
| US Senator Bernie Sanders discusses his presidential run and American healthcare reform. | |||||
| 10 | Rahima Mahmut | 51:13 | March 20, 2023 | link at Apple Podcasts | |
| Uyghur artist and human rights activist Rahima Mahmut discusses the Uyghur genocide and the Xinjiang conflict. | |||||
| 11 | Gary Linekar | 56:23 | March 27, 2023 | link at Apple Podcasts | |
| English footballer and sports broadcaster Gary Linekar discusses his career and 2023 suspension from Match of the Day. | |||||
| 12 | David Baddiel | 51:59 | April 3, 2023 | link at Apple Podcasts | |
| English comedian, presenter, and author David Baddiel discusses his maternal family's entry into Britain as refugees during the Holocaust, antisemitism in the UK, his polemic Jews Don't Count, and his co-written song Three Lions. | |||||
References
- Sturges, Fiona (28 March 2022). "Rory Stewart and Alastair Campbell's odd-couple podcast". www.ft.com. Financial Times. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
- Marriot, James (21 December 2022). "The 25 best podcasts of 2022: from The Rest is Politics to The News Agents". www.thetimes.co.uk. The Times. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
- Sawyer, Miranda (6 March 2022). "The week in audio: Paperless; Weekend; Ukrainecast; The Rest Is History – review". www.theguardian.com. The Guardian. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
- Turvill, William (8 December 2022). "The News Agents podcast hits 10 million downloads". pressgazette.co.uk. Press Gazette. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
- Duggins, Alexi; Verdier, Hannah; Richardson, Hollie; Lindlar, Charlie (29 December 2022). "Best podcasts of the week: The rise and fall of the Silicon Valley brand that made antidepressants 'cool'". theguardian.com. The Guardian. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- "Labour expels Alastair Campbell from party". The Guardian. 28 May 2019. Archived from the original on 8 April 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- Bloom, Dan (4 September 2019). "Tory Rory Stewart sacked by text while he accepted politician of the year award". Daily Mirror. Archived from the original on 8 September 2019. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- White, Peter (17 June 2022). "Gary Lineker's Goalhanger To Expand Podcast Output After Signing With WME". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart (5 July 2022). "SPECIAL:SUNAK AND JAVID RESIGN". Acast (Podcast). Goalhanger Podcasts. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart (14 October 2022). "TRUSS DOWN, KWARTENG OUT". Acast (Podcast). Goalhanger Podcasts. Retrieved 21 January 2023.