The Rest Is Politics

The Rest Is Politics is a political podcast hosted by Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart that launched in 2022.

Goalhanger Podcasts introduced the series in March 2022 to provide conversational commentary on United Kingdom and international current affairs. Campbell previously served as Downing Street director of communications for the Labour Party, while Stewart was a Conservative Member of Parliament and cabinet minister. Distribution occurs through audio streaming platforms including Apple Podcasts and Spotify, accompanied by filmed episodes published on YouTube. Rapid audience growth led to live performance tours at large venues including the Royal Albert Hall and the O2 Arena in London during 2024.

Episodes air twice weekly and center on political decision-making, foreign conflicts, and democratic institutions. The hosts aim to debate controversial policy questions from opposing partisan viewpoints while maintaining civil dialogue. The production releases emergency audio installments to analyze sudden domestic crises, including multiple prime ministerial resignations during 2022. Prominent guest interviews on the program have featured former government leader Tony Blair and party leader Keir Starmer. Television network Channel 4 hired both podcast hosts to co-anchor its live national election night coverage in July 2024.

In January 2023, the hosts expanded the brand by launching a sister interview podcast titled Leading to conduct long-form discussions with global leaders. The production company added an American edition in May 2024 to examine federal policy and presidential elections. Both hosts published political non-fiction books, with Stewart releasing Politics on the Edge in 2023 and Campbell releasing But What Can I Do? in 2023. Audio downloads routinely placed the show among the top five podcasts in the United Kingdom throughout 2023 and 2024.