481. Polanski, Macron & al-Sharaa: The Best & Worst Politicians of 2025

  • Podcast

  • 24 December 2025

  • Posted by Alastair Campbell

  • 0

Who deserves the title of UK politician of the year - and who gets worst? What was the most consequential moment of Trump's presidency so far? And can Rory convince Alastair that Christmas isn't so miserable after all?


Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more.



__________ Gift The Rest Is Politics Plus this Christmas – give someone a whole year of Rory and Alastair’s miniseries, ad-free listening, early access to episodes and live show tickets, an exclusive members’ newsletter, discounted book prices, and a private chatroom on Discord. Just go to therestispolitics.supportingcast.fm/gifts. And of course, you can still join for yourself any time at therestispolitics.com


The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. Fuse are giving away free TRIP Plus membership for all of 2025 to new sign ups ? TRIP Plus gets you ad-free listening, discounts, and early access to episodes and pre-sale tickets for live shows! To sign up and for terms and conditions, visit ⁠fuseenergy.com/politics



__________

Social Producer: Charlie Johnson

Video Editor: Josh Smith

Assistant Producer: Daisy Alston-Horne

Producer: Evan Green, India Dunkley

Senior Producer: Callum Hill

Exec Producer: Tom Whiter


For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to goalhanger.com

Instagram: @restispolitics

Twitter: @restispolitics

Email: therestispolitics@goalhanger.com



Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

539. Embezzlement, the Mandelson Texts, and Hasan Piker’s UK Ban

What does the SNP embezzlement case reveal about how scandal-ridden British politics is? Is the banning of prominent left-wing American commentators Hasan Piker and Cenk Uygur a sensible decision or a... Continue

4 June 2026

Post

Posted by Goalhanger

538. The Pope’s AI Warning and Alastair Reacts to Blair’s Attack

Is Pope Leo’s encyclical the most important contribution to the AI debate so far, and is he doing more to hold Silicon Valley to account than any Western government? What did Alastair say to Tony Bl... Continue

3 June 2026

Post

Posted by Goalhanger

191. Is It Already Too Late to Control AI? (Anthropic Co-Founder, Jack Clark)

Why is one of AI's most powerful insiders scared of what he's building? Who's really in charge of the technology reshaping our world? Is it too late for governments to regulate it? Rory and Matt Clif... Continue

1 June 2026

Post

Posted by Goalhanger

177. Olaf Scholz: Putin, Power, and Far-Right Populism

Does the former German Chancellor think that Germany was wrong to rely on Russian gas in the run up to the war in Ukraine? What does Olaf Scholz think is behind the rise of the far-right Alternative f... Continue

23 February 2026

Post

Posted by Goalhanger

Why Trump Wants Greenland

Why has Donald Trump considered invading Greenland? How does he think it will benefit him? What is the role of China in the Arctic? And what animals have Russia trained to spy for them? Listen as Alas... Continue

23 February 2026

Post

Posted by Goalhanger

503. Andrew’s Arrest: What Next?

Why has the disgraced Andrew Mountbatten Windsor been arrested? How damaging is this unprecedented moment for the royal family? How effective was King Charles’ response? Join Alastair and the forme... Continue

19 February 2026

Post

Posted by Goalhanger

502. How Nigel Farage Gets Away With It (Question Time)

Why is Reform UK's leader not being properly challenged by the press, and how does he get away with it? What does this reveal about the international populist playbook? How can our democracies be bett... Continue

19 February 2026

Post

Posted by Goalhanger

176. How Close Are We To War With Iran? (Robert Malley)

How does the former US Special Representative for Iran think US-Iranian relations will improve? Is there a method to Trump’s madness when it comes to foreign policy? Why does Robert believe the “t... Continue

16 February 2026

Post

Posted by Goalhanger