The Rest Is Politics: UK Politicians of the Year & Political Moments of 2025

Best UK Politician of the Year

• 🎯 Rory Stewart initially considered Nigel Farage for his continued political impact, but ultimately chose Al Khn, a full colonel and Royal Marine, for his real-world experience, charisma, and potential to connect with ordinary people.
• 💡 Alistair Campbell, after considering Nigel Farage's resurgence, leaned towards Zach Plansky for tripling the Green Party's membership and poll position, but finally settled on Ed Miliband for his resilience and perseverance in sticking to his green agenda.

Worst UK Politician of the Year

• ⚠️ Alistair Campbell felt vindicated in his previous choice of Rachel Reeves, citing weaknesses revealed in the latest budget, particularly the seemingly unnecessary tax rises.
• ⚖️ Rory Stewart nominated Nathan Gil, an MEP convicted of bribery, and gave a supporting actor nod to Nigel Farage for his handling of the situation and continued influence.

Favorite Leading Interview

• 🌟 Both Rory and Alistair agreed that Ahmed Alshara was the standout interview, due to his frankness about his past in al-Qaeda and terrorist movements, and the interview's significant listenership in Arabic.
• 🎤 Other notable interviews included Baroness Hale, Alex Younger (former head of MI6), Ben Wallace, Jeremy Hunt, Marwan Busisi, and Jonathan Hate.

Best Foreign Politician

• 🌍 Rory Stewart chose Maya Sandu, President of Moldova, for her leadership in a country at risk from Russia and her success in fending off Russian interference in elections.
• 🤝 Alistair Campbell selected Mark Carney, citing his consistent authenticity, comfort in his own skin, and ability to navigate various roles from central banker to politician, despite initial concerns about technocrats becoming leaders.

Worst Foreign Politician

• 💥 Alistair Campbell nominated the duo of Ben Gvir and Smotrich for their damaging influence on Israeli politics and the Middle East peace process, and held Netanyahu responsible for including them in his cabinet.
• 🇫🇷 Rory Stewart criticized Emmanuel Macron for catastrophic failures stemming from vanity and ineptitude, leading to a loss of parliamentary power and an inability to achieve key objectives on Europe.

Speech of the Year

• 🗣️ Alistair Campbell highlighted JD Vance's speech at the Munich Security Conference as consequential for revealing America's foreign policy intentions and supporting the far-right.
• 🎤 Rory Stewart selected Kemi Badenoch's response to the budget as the best parliamentary speech for its toughness and clear articulation of the Conservative party's platform.
• ⚽ Alistair Campbell also praised Pep Guardiola's speech about Gaza, emphasizing basic humanity and the power of small actions.

Biggest Political Moment

• 🇺🇦 Rory Stewart identified Zelensky's meeting with Trump in the Oval Office as a pivotal moment, where Trump signaled a shift in US support for Ukraine.
• 📈 Alistair Campbell chose the moment US tariffs increased significantly under Trump, highlighting the shift in global trade, unpredictability, and the undermining of the world order.

Most Underdiscussed Moment/Issue

• 🤖 Alistair Campbell pointed to Nvidia's stock reaching $5 trillion as the most underdiscussed international moment, underscoring the transformative potential and existential threat of AI, which policymakers are not adequately addressing.
• 👶 Rory Stewart highlighted Special Educational Needs (SEN) in the UK as a major domestic issue, with a significant funding black hole and increasing demand due to greater awareness and complexity of needs.
• 🇵🇸 Alistair Campbell noted that despite Trump's narrative of peace, life in Gaza remains dire, making it an underdiscussed consequence of his diplomatic efforts.