The Rest Is Politics

565. Zelenskyy’s Corruption Problem and Is History Repeating Itself in Germany?

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 President Zelenskyy, and do fresh corruption scandals pose an existential threat to Ukraine’s war effort? With the AfD on course to break through in state elections for the first time, is Germany's “firewall” against the far-right about to collapse? Join Alastair and Rory as they answer all these questions and more. __________ Enjoy Rory and Alastair’s interview with the President of UEFA, Aleksander Čeferin, 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 [https://mailchi.mp/fa3e66f5e4c7/trip-public-newsletter], featuring exclusive interviews, analysis and weekend reads from Alastair and Rory. Join The Rest Is Politics Plus. Start your free trial at therestispolitics.com [https://therestispolitics.supportingcast.fm/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=episode_description&utm_content=link_cta] 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 [https://fuseenergy.com/politics] and get a free TRIP+ subscription. 🌏 Upgrade your online protection with an all-in-one security app! Get an exclusive NordVPN deal + 4 months extra here ➼ nordvpn.com/restispolitics [http://nordvpn.com/restispolitics] It’s risk free with NordVPN’s 30-day money-back guarantee! __________ Instagram: @restispolitics [https://www.instagram.com/restispolitics/] Twitter: @restispolitics [https://twitter.com/RestIsPolitics] Email: therestispolitics@goalhanger.com [therestispolitics@goalhanger.com] __________ Social Producer: Celine Charles Video Editor: Josh Smith, Oli Ortega Assistant Producer: Daisy Alston-Horne Producer: Evan Green Exec Producer: Bella Soames Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Becoming Burnham: Thatcher, Hillsborough, and the Anger that Shaped Him | Part 1

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, 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

564. Burnham’s Media Machine and West Bank Settler Impunity

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 [https://www.radixbigtent.org.uk/about/our-youth-movement-politika/]. The competition is open to all 16–18 year olds in the UK, and submissions close on 20th September 2026. __________ 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 [https://mailchi.mp/fa3e66f5e4c7/trip-public-newsletter], featuring exclusive interviews, analysis and weekend reads from Alastair and Rory. Summer sale is HERE [https://therestispolitics.com/club?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=summersale26&utm_term=summer26epdescription&utm_content=tripmainfeed]: 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 [https://fuseenergy.com/politics] and get a free TRIP+ subscription. Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ nordvpn.com/restispolitics [https://nordvpn.com/podcast/?coupon=restispolitics&pers=true&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_term=&utm_content&utm_campaign=off840&utm_source=aff92700] It's risk-free with Nord's 30 day money back guarantee ✅ __________ Instagram: @restispolitics [https://www.instagram.com/restispolitics/] Twitter: @restispolitics [https://twitter.com/RestIsPolitics] Email: therestispolitics@goalhanger.com [therestispolitics@goalhanger.com] __________ 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

563. Britain’s Afghanistan Shame and the Jason Arday Tragedy

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. __________ 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 [https://mailchi.mp/fa3e66f5e4c7/trip-public-newsletter], featuring exclusive interviews, analysis and weekend reads from Alastair and Rory. Join The Rest Is Politics Plus. Start your free trial at therestispolitics.com [https://therestispolitics.supportingcast.fm/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=episode_description&utm_content=link_cta] 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 [https://fuseenergy.com/politics] and get a free TRIP+ subscription. Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ nordvpn.com/restispolitics [https://nordvpn.com/podcast/?coupon=restispolitics&pers=true&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_term=&utm_content&utm_campaign=off840&utm_source=aff92700] It's risk-free with Nord's 30 day money back guarantee ✅ __________ Instagram: @restispolitics [https://www.instagram.com/restispolitics/] Twitter: @restispolitics [https://twitter.com/RestIsPolitics] Email: therestispolitics@goalhanger.com [therestispolitics@goalhanger.com] __________ Social Producer: Celine Charles Video Editor: Josh Smith, Vasco Andrade Assistant Producer: Daisy Alston-Horne Producer: Evan Green Executive Producer: Bella Soames Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Will Climate Action Go Backwards Under Burnham?

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 [https://therestispolitics.com/club-2?utm_source=episodedescription&utm_medium=cta&utm_id=climate+miniseries] ⁠⁠⁠⁠Read the redacted Joint Intelligence Committee Report here⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/696e0eae719d837d69afc7de/National_security_assessment_-_global_biodiversity_loss__ecosystem_collapse_and_national_security.pdf] ⁠⁠⁠⁠Find out more about the National Emergency Briefing here.⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.nebriefing.org/] Producer: India Dunkley Researcher: Evie Townend Video Editor: Josh Smith, Vasco Andrade Social Producer: Celine Charles Executive Producer: Bella Soames General Manager: Tom Whiter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]