Yesterday

558. The 'Cockroach' Uprising and Should We Stop Data Centres?

Is Modi's power finally cracking as the Cockroach Janta Party's mass protests force a minister to resign for the first time in over a decade? Does the new US-Saudi uranium deal risk triggering a fresh wave of nuclear proliferation across the Middle East and beyond? If AI data cen ... Show More

58m 29s

Jul 28

557. Can Burnham Deliver Britain's Biggest Change in Generations?

Can Andy Burnham, in a single term or less, fix problems like social care that are generations in the making? Is his new push for vocational education a long-overdue fix for Britain's broken skills system, or a betrayal of the working-class kids who have the most to gain from a r ... Show More

56m 39s

Jul 23

Britain's Ticking Time Bomb: The Food Security Crisis

Could the UK be facing empty supermarket shelves by 2030? Are food distribution centres sitting ducks for drone warfare? And how has Britain got to a place where is has just 3 days to 3 weeks worth of food supplies? This week, Caroline Lucas sits down with food security expert, P ... Show More

16m 13s

Jun 2024

83. The Man Who Ran Downing Street

What are prime ministers really like behind closed doors? How do you become Britain’s most powerful civil servant? Are special advisors a force for good or ill? On today’s episode of Leading, Rory and Alastair are joined by Gus O’Donnell, the former Cabinet Secretary and Head of ... Show More

55m 4s

Dec 2023

50. Angela Rayner: From zero GCSEs to Britain’s most powerful woman?

Could Labour still lose the next election? What really went wrong under Jeremy Corbyn? What do the left actually think of the right? Rory and Alastair are joined by Labour's Deputy Leader, Angela Rayner, to discuss all this and more on today's episode of Leading. TRIP Plus: Bec ... Show More

1h 11m

May 2023

18: George Osborne: Austerity, Boris Johnson, and the UK's next Prime Minister

Does George Osborne regret leaving politics? Does he think Sunak can win the next general election? What did he admire about New Labour, Tony Blair, and Gordon Brown? Tune in to today's episode of Leading to hear Alastair and Rory's conversation with the former Chancellor of the ... Show More

1h 7m

Jan 2024

53. Seb Coe: Corruption, gender, and the geopolitics of sport

Will doping ever be defeated in sport? What was it like going from world class runner to government whip? Are the Tories finished in Britain? In the first Leading episode of 2024, Rory and Alastair are joined by Seb Coe to discuss all this and more. TRIP Plus: Become a member o ... Show More

1h 1m

Nov 2023

46. Arancha González Laya: The World’s Most Powerful Organisations

Are increased military budgets needed following on from Russia's invasion of Ukraine? Will Europe take the same approach to regulating AI as China and the US? What is it like being a woman in front-bench politics? Rory and Alastair are joined by former Minister of Foreign Affair ... Show More

51m 51s

May 2024

76. Rachel Reeves: Britain’s next Chancellor?

How would an incoming Labour government fund the NHS? How does Reeves and Starmer's relationship compare to Blair and Brown? What is the experience of being a woman in the world of banking and politics? Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves joins Rory and Alastair as ... Show More

1h 11m

Jun 2024

79. Nadhim Zahawi: Iraq, Conservatism, and why he backed Boris Johnson

What does the former Chancellor make of the current Conservative election campaign? What was his experience escaping Saddam Hussein's Iraq? And does he stand by his support of Boris Johnson and Brexit? Nadhim Zahawi joins Rory and Alastair to answer all these questions and more ... Show More

48m 54s

May 2025

132. Former Head of MI6: Russia, China, and Trump (Sir Alex Younger)

What is the real job of a spy? What is the role of the UK’s intelligence community in Trump’s new world order? How does the relationship between politicians and intelligence services work? TRIP Plus: Become a member of The Rest Is Politics Plus to support the podcast, receive our ... Show More

1h 7m

May 2024

74. Kwasi Kwarteng: Liz Truss, becoming Chancellor, and Britain on the brink (Part 2)

Why did the Tory Party choose to make Liz Truss and Boris Johnson prime minister? How does it feel to be the second shortest-serving chancellor in post-war history? What was the true thinking behind the disastrous Truss-Kwarteng mini-budget? On today's episode of Leading, Rory ... Show More

54m 38s

Aug 2024

89. David Davis: The danger of Farage and the battle for the soul of the Tory Party

Does David Davis still think Brexit has been a success? Was he wrong on gay marriage and the death penalty? Is meritocracy in Britain now a thing of the past? Alastair and Rory are joined by former Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, Davis Davis, to discuss all th ... Show More

1h 7m

123. DOMINIC RAAB RESIGNS