The Rest Is Politics

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Alastair is joined by Andy Burnham’s closest confidant, friend and former colleague, Steve Rotheram – the Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region to discuss…

Who really is Andy Burnham, and how is he going to change Britain? How have events like Hillsborough, and Thatcher’s Northern neglect shaped him? And, how does he contend with his imposter syndrome, his ‘Catholic guilt complex’, and his restless desire to be liked?

Producer: India Dunkley

Researcher: Miranda Crawford

Video Editor: Josh Smith

Social Producer: Celine Charles

Executive Producer: Emily Kent Smith
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Is Burnham’s Britain’s first ‘TikTok Prime Minister’ and what does that mean for accountability, old-fashioned journalism, and the Westminster lobby? Why are violent Israeli settlers able to act with impunity against Palestinians in the West Bank, and is Israel effectively annexing the territory? Should young people spend the last two weeks of their summer holidays thinking about the challenges facing the world?

Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more in this week's edition of Question Time.

Get involved with Politika’s Policy Ideas for Positive Change ⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠. The competition is open to all 16–18 year olds in the UK, and submissions close on 20th September 2026.

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Enjoy Rory and Alastair’s interview with Maoz Inon and Aziz Abu Sarah by searching ‘Leading’ on Spotify, Apple, or YouTube.

Go deeper into the world of The Rest Is Politics by signing up for our free newsletter HERE, featuring exclusive interviews, analysis and weekend reads from Alastair and Rory.

Summer sale is HERE: Get an annual membership for an extra 20% off with code SUMMER26 That's ad-free listening, every bonus episode, and full access to our exclusive members' series. Sale ends August 31st, so grab it before summer's over.

The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. Stop overpaying for energy. Switch at fuseenergy.com/politics and get a free TRIP+ subscription.

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Instagram: @restispolitics

Twitter: @restispolitics

Email: therestispolitics@goalhanger.com

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Becoming Burnham Trailer Editor: Dylan Bonham

Social Producer: Celine Charles

Video Editor: Josh Smith

Assistant Producer: Daisy Alston-Horne

Producer: Evan Green

Exec Producer: Bella Soames
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Five years after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Taliban takeover, why has not a single Western government marked the anniversary of a war that cost thousands of lives and trillions of dollars? Why has Russia's last liberal anti-war party been banned ahead of next month's Duma elections, and is it a sign of Putin's strength or his weakness? What does the media frenzy that engulfed Jason Arday before his death reveal about how quickly we strip vulnerable people of their humanity?

Join Rory, Alastair and Shoshana Stewart, as they answer all these questions and more.

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Enjoy Rory and Alastair’s interview with Maoz Inon and Aziz Abu Sarah by searching ‘Leading’ on Spotify, Apple, or YouTube.

Go deeper into the world of The Rest Is Politics by signing up for our free newsletter HERE, featuring exclusive interviews, analysis and weekend reads from Alastair and Rory.

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 access to episodes and live show tickets, exclusive newsletters, discounted book prices, and a private chatroom on Discord.

The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. Stop overpaying for energy. Switch at fuseenergy.com/politics and get a free TRIP+ subscription.

Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ nordvpn.com/restispolitics It's risk-free with Nord's 30 day money back guarantee ✅

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Instagram: @restispolitics

Twitter: @restispolitics

Email: therestispolitics@goalhanger.com

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Social Producer: Celine Charles

Video Editor: Josh Smith, Vasco Andrade

Assistant Producer: Daisy Alston-Horne

Producer: Evan Green

Executive Producer: Bella Soames
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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 the environment?

Join Alastair Campbell, Rory Stewart and Caroline Lucas as they discuss all of these questions and more.

To watch Caroline’s four part series on climate as a national security threat, sign up at therestispolitcs.com

⁠⁠⁠⁠Read the redacted Joint Intelligence Committee Report here⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Find out more about the National Emergency Briefing here.⁠⁠⁠⁠

Producer: India Dunkley

Researcher: Evie Townend

Video Editor: Josh Smith, Vasco Andrade

Social Producer: Celine Charles

Executive Producer: Bella Soames

General Manager: Tom Whiter
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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 reoffending rates soaring, why aren’t governments honest about the real causes of the crisis, or the solutions? As the Rhine falls to record lows and Germany's economy takes the hit, is this the clearest sign yet that the climate crisis is now an economic one?

Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more.

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Enjoy Rory and Alastair’s interview with Johnny Mercer by searching ‘Leading’ on Spotify, Apple, or YouTube.

Go deeper into the world of The Rest Is Politics by signing up for our free newsletter HERE, featuring exclusive interviews, analysis and weekend reads from Alastair and Rory.

Summer sale is HERE: get an annual membership for an extra 20% off with code SUMMER26. That's ad-free listening, every bonus episode, and full access to our exclusive members' series. Sale ends August 31st, so grab it before summer's over.

The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. Stop overpaying for energy. Switch at fuseenergy.com/politics and get a free TRIP+ subscription.

Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ nordvpn.com/restispolitics It's risk-free with Nord's 30 day money back guarantee ✅

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Instagram: @restispolitics

Twitter: @restispolitics

Email: therestispolitics@goalhanger.com

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Social Producer: Celine Charles

Video Editor: Lorcan Moullier, Bruno Di Castri

Assistant Producer: Daisy Alston-Horne

Producer: Evan Green

Exec Producer: Bella Soames
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices