The Rest Is Politics

Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart are an unlikely pairing -- one was Tony Blair's famously combative spin doctor, the other a Conservative cabinet minister and former MI6 operative. But their podcast works precisely because of that tension. They come at every issue from completely different political backgrounds, and the result is genuinely illuminating debate rather than the predictable point-scoring you get on most political shows. Episodes drop twice a week and usually run 45-60 minutes. The format is straightforward: Campbell and Stewart pick apart the week's biggest political stories, drawing on their firsthand experience of how government actually works. Stewart's willingness to criticize his own party and Campbell's occasional admissions about New Labour's mistakes give the show a credibility that pure partisan commentary lacks. They clearly respect each other, and their arguments feel real rather than performed. Produced by Goalhanger Podcasts (the same team behind The Rest Is History), the show has built a massive following -- over 550 episodes and 665 ratings with a 4.3-star average. There is a premium tier with ad-free listening and bonus content, but the free episodes give you plenty. The show has spawned spin-offs covering US politics, money, and classified intelligence stories. Listeners regularly describe it as the most balanced political podcast they have found, though some critics push back on that characterization. Either way, if you want to understand British politics from the perspective of two people who were actually in the room when big decisions were made, this is hard to beat.