The Rest Is Politics: Leading
Two former British political rivals, one Labour and one Conservative, interview leaders from politics, media, and academia.
This is a long-form interview show where two highly experienced political insiders from opposite sides of the aisle talk to other leaders. The hosts, a former Labour strategist and a former Conservative minister, use their deep knowledge of government and media to push beyond surface-level answers. They explore the guest's career, philosophy, and expert take on current global challenges, from AI and geopolitics to the state of democracy.
“The show's unique feature is the dynamic between the hosts themselves. Having a former key Labour strategist and a former Conservative cabinet minister co-hosting allows for uniquely informed, cross-partisan questioning that no single host could replicate.”
Who hosts this show
A spin-off from Britain's biggest political podcast, 'Leading' is hosted by Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart. Campbell is a journalist and strategist best known as Tony Blair's Director of Communications. Stewart is a former Conservative cabinet minister, diplomat, and author who held several government posts. Together, they use their extensive insider experience to conduct in-depth interviews with figures shaping politics, technology, and global affairs.
Credentials & credits
- Rory Stewart: Former UK Secretary of State for International Development
- Rory Stewart: Former Member of Parliament (MP) for Penrith and The Border
- Rory Stewart: Former diplomat and provincial Deputy-Governor in Iraq
- Rory Stewart: Senior Fellow at Yale's Jackson School for Global Affairs
- Alastair Campbell: Downing Street Director of Communications and Strategy (1997-2003)
- Alastair Campbell: Journalist and Political Editor
Other ventures
- The Rest Is Politics (main podcast)
- Rory Stewart: Author of multiple books including 'The Places in Between'
- Rory Stewart: Co-founder of the Turquoise Mountain Foundation in Afghanistan
- Alastair Campbell: Author of numerous books, including diaries and novels
- Alastair Campbell: Editor-at-large of The New European
- Alastair Campbell: Mental health charity ambassador
What kind of podcast
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- uk
When new episodes drop
- 01Is Putin Losing His Grip on Russia? | Steve RosenbergJun 22, 2026 · 57 min
- 02Why Is the Right Radicalising? | Sir James Cleverly MPJun 15, 2026 · 1h 15m
- 03The Storm Before The World War? | Odd Arne WestadJun 8, 2026 · 59 min
- 04Is It Already Too Late To Control AI? | Jack Clark, Co-Founder of AnthropicJun 1, 2026 · 1h 03m
- 05The Battle for Truth in the Age of Trump | Tina BrownMay 25, 2026 · 1h 10m
- 06The Existential Battle with China | Rahm EmanuelMay 18, 2026 · 1h 10m
Notable episodes
- 01The Storm Before The World War? | Odd Arne Westad
Features historian Odd Arne Westad drawing direct, alarming parallels between current global tensions and the lead-up to World War I, particularly regarding Taiwan.
- 02Is Putin Losing His Grip on Russia? | Steve Rosenberg
An insider's view from the BBC's Russia Editor on the state of Russia post-invasion, including public opinion, state control, and the challenges of reporting from Moscow.
- 03Why Is the Right Radicalising? | Sir James Cleverly MP
A candid conversation with a senior Conservative politician about the party's leadership struggles, Brexit, and the influence of figures like Nigel Farage.
What you'll be asked on this show
Each episode is a focused, hour-long interview with a single guest. The hosts are active participants, often drawing on their own experiences in government to frame questions or debate points with the guest and each other. The tone is serious and substantive, but conversational.
Questions the host keeps coming back to
- “Are we in a dangerous, pre-war period?”
- “What did Western leaders miss or get wrong about [a specific leader or country]?”
- “How do you assess the leadership of [a specific political figure]?”
- “What is your reaction to [a recent political event or controversy]?”
- “Why aren't more politicians campaigning on the issue of [a major long-term challenge, e.g., AI]?”
- “What was your interpretation of [a specific high-level meeting or summit]?”
- “Can you tell us about your background and what made you enter your field?”
- “How worried should we be about a potential conflict over [a specific geopolitical flashpoint, e.g., Taiwan]?”
- “Is [an authoritarian system] projecting itself as more effective than democracy?”
- “As a journalist, do you have to be more careful or 'pull your punches' when reporting from [a repressive state]?”
Signature segments
- · Hosts drawing on their own government experience to frame questions
- · Asking guests to summarize political figures in a word or short phrase
- · A cross-partisan debate between the hosts and the guest
- · A 'Coming Up' montage of clips at the start of the episode
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
Guests are high-profile leaders and experts, including current and former politicians (James Cleverly), top-tier journalists (Steve Rosenberg), influential historians (Odd Arne Westad), and tech founders (Jack Clark). They are booked for their direct experience and authority on major contemporary issues.
- Steve Rosenbergon Is Putin Losing His Grip on Russia? | Steve Rosenberg
- Sir James Cleverly MPon Why Is the Right Radicalising? | Sir James Cleverly MP
- Odd Arne Westadon The Storm Before The World War? | Odd Arne Westad
- Jack Clarkon Is It Already Too Late To Control AI? | Jack Clark, Co-Founder of Anthropic
- Tina Brownon The Battle for Truth in the Age of Trump | Tina Brown
- Rahm Emanuelon The Existential Battle with China | Rahm Emanuel
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
Based on observed sponsors like IG (a financial services company) and Vauxhall, the podcast likely attracts advertisers targeting an educated, high-income audience interested in finance, current affairs, and premium goods. (estimated)
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
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People also ask
- Who are the hosts of 'The Rest Is Politics: Leading'?
- The hosts are Alastair Campbell, former Director of Communications for UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Rory Stewart, a former Conservative Party cabinet minister and diplomat.
- Is this podcast still running?
- Yes, it is an active, weekly podcast.
- What is the format of the show?
- Each episode is a long-form interview with a single high-profile guest from fields like politics, journalism, or academia.
- What is the difference between 'Leading' and the main 'The Rest Is Politics' podcast?
- 'The Rest Is Politics' features Campbell and Stewart discussing the week's news. 'Leading' is their spin-off show focused exclusively on interviewing a guest.
- Where can I listen to the podcast?
- The podcast is available on major platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]The Rest Is Politics - Official Sitetherestispolitics.com
- [02]Alastair Campbell - Official Bioalastaircampbell.org
- [03]Rory Stewart - Official Biororystewart.co.uk
- [04]The Rt Hon Rory Stewart OBE - GOV.UKgov.uk
- [05]Alastair Campbell - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- [06]Rory Stewart - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- [07]The Rest Is Politics: Leading - Podnewspodnews.net
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