The Rest is Politics - Review
A quick review of Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart's podcast The Rest is Politics. It's very good, smart without being too serious.
As I come out of 'new parent land', I have been trying to read and listen to more serious things. I am taking baby steps, and podcasts seem a gentle way to try and wake my brain up.
I have slightly missed the boat with them, but I am trying to catch up and have found one I enjoy - The Rest is Politics. A clever, but not too clever, politics show hosted by Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart. The show describes itself as:
Two men who’ve been at the heart of the political world – former Downing Street Director of Communications and Strategy Alastair Campbell and cabinet minister Rory Stewart – join forces from across the political divide. The Rest Is Politics lifts the lid on the secrets of Westminster, offering an insider’s view on politics at home and abroad, while bringing back the lost art of disagreeing agreeably.
I think the analysis benefits a lot from the fact that they have both been involved centrally but aren't anymore and that it doesn't feel like they are using a springboard to get involved again.
I knew that Alistair Campbell is clever, well-read and entertaining. To be honest, I barely knew who Rory Stewart was, other than another posh guy who had a falling out with Boris and may have been a spy. However, he does seem an awful lot more than that (although that is often the case with politicians of all colours), so I will encourage my lefty friends to give him some airtime. He is intelligent, serious and very kind. Through the show, he phones in from amazing places where he is doing international development.
I agreed with the assessment in The Times:
The Campbell-Stewart dynamic has unexpected comic potential. Stewart is that idiosyncratic combination of unflappable Etonian smoothness and distinctly un-Etonian moral earnestness. Campbell is chippy and humorous.
It does seem a little unfocused, but that isn't always a bad thing (just look at this site). I was also worried it was all getting a bit chummy, I am pretty middle of the road, but you can't have a conversation where everyone just pats each other on the back and agrees. But thankfully, after a couple of episodes, there are some interesting arguments.
If you want to listen to interesting political analysis without some of the anger and vitriol, it's a good choice. They disagree enough to make it worthwhile whilst having a proper discussion. I could do without the bagpipes.
Note: Somewhat surprisingly, this post has been very popular, so jumping on the bandwagon, I have set up a page with some other YouTube and podcast reviews.
