Podcast Summary: The Rest Is Politics – Episode 492: Should Europe Boycott the World Cup? (Question Time)
Hosts: Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart
Date: January 23, 2026

Episode Overview

In this special “Question Time” edition, Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart, broadcasting from Davos, deliver a far-reaching and candid discussion on vital political issues in the UK and globally. The central topic is the ethical and political implications of attending or boycotting the upcoming World Cup in the United States, set against the backdrop of former President Trump’s increasingly authoritarian behavior and the crisis in Greenland. Additionally, the hosts provide on-the-ground insights from Davos, analyze Robert Jenrick’s high-profile defection from the Conservative Party, decode shifting alliances in Syria, and reflect on the enduring value of political oratory following a conversation with Neil Kinnock.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Boycott Debate: Should the UK (and Europe) Attend the World Cup?

• Listener Question - Margaret from North Carolina (03:00): Margaret commends Alastair for considering not attending the World Cup to avoid normalizing Trump’s actions. She asks at what point one should call out emerging autocracy in the US, and what it would take for England and others to boycott the World Cup.

• Alastair’s Decision (05:04):

  • Alastair confirms he and his son have decided not to attend:
    “We, you know, both my sons and I followed Scotland through thin and thin…”
  • Emphasizes he doesn’t judge others who go but, for him, “in part, making a statement that this is okay. And…Trump uses everything to political ends.”

• Listener Polls Results:

  • Instagram: 66% against attending
  • Spotify: 78% against attending
  • Emails: 91% against attending

• Impact on Americans (06:36):

  • Many American listeners express that international protest helps domestic opposition to Trump.
  • Rory stresses the importance of focusing not just on symbolic acts but the domestic realities in the US, citing “the horror of what’s happening in Minnesota and a sense of creeping authoritarianism.”

Notable Quote

“You are, in part, making a statement that this is okay. And…Trump uses everything to political ends, and, by God, he’s going to use this World Cup with his friend Infantino.”
— Alastair Campbell (05:27)

2. Would a European Boycott Make a Difference?

• Historical Analogies (07:00):

  • Rory compares the possible US boycott to boycotts of the USSR after Afghanistan, South Africa under apartheid, and Russia post-Ukraine, but highlights the US as a uniquely central power.

• Effectiveness & Consequences (07:46):

  • Trump would “weaponize” a boycott, framing it as victimization and fuelling his narrative.
  • Only a massive, global, multilateral boycott would make a difference.

Notable Quote

“He would present it as loser countries victimizing the US…and he would use it probably to boost his own poll ratings.”
— Rory Stewart (07:46)

Would British Public Support a Boycott? (08:17)

• Alastair doubts it: “There is massive interest in the World Cup…sports fans would be really, really hurt and confused.”
• Suggests only dramatic escalation—such as military conflict in Greenland—would tip public opinion.

Notable Quote

“If it develops into…American troops arriving on Greenland and fighting with Danes…that’s a different level of thing.”
— Alastair Campbell (08:46)

3. The FIFA Peace Prize Parody & Trump’s Political Showmanship

• Trump’s alleged pursuit of a Nobel Prize is mocked.
• Alastair derides the “pathetic” spectacle:
  “It's Trump with a green dummy in his mouth saying, we're about to see what happens when a baby doesn't get what it wants.” (09:27)

4. Davos Dispatch: The State of Global Leadership

• Both hosts deliver irreverent observations about the atmosphere at Davos (12:36–16:01).
• Rory: “It’s extraordinary…a rag-bag of peculiar, different types of people…”
• Alastair satirizes elite status games over badge color.

Notable Moment

“He paid $40,000 to have a less good badge than you.”
— Rory Stewart (14:30)

• On the upside: Davos as a vital networking platform for charities and NGOs, even as global inequality deepens.

5. Spotlight on Child Exploitation and Tech Responsibility

• Alastair’s meeting with International Justice Mission (16:05):

  • The scale of online child sex abuse, with the UK third globally for customers.
  • The urgent need for governments and tech firms to intervene.

• Rory links the issue to broader trends in social media/AI, especially Elon Musk:
  “Instead of being interested in monitoring this stuff, he’s going in the completely opposite direction…” (18:07)

6. The “Greenland Question” and Tech Billionaires’ Libertarian Fantasies

• Discusses the realpolitik behind American actions in Greenland and tech moguls’ interest in the territory as a “libertarian experiment.” (20:11)

7. Robert Jenrick, Tory Turmoil & the Farage Factor

• Question from Finn in Manchester (25:03):
  • Could Jenrick’s sacking shift the Tories back to the centre?
  • How credible is Reform under Farage, given defectors are mostly ex-Tories?

Key Points

• Rory: Reform is “a home for failed MPs” and key figures are “all basically failed right wing Conservatives.”
• Kemi Badenoch’s preemptive strike sacking Jenrick limited the media impact of his defection, but the strategic blow remains.

Notable Quotes

“She got there ahead, broke the whole story herself in a really good way. She said this guy’s a snake in the grass. He’s heading over to Reform.”
— Rory Stewart (27:39)

• Alastair: The Tories must stop believing that “moving right” will stem their losses to Farage.
• Rory sees a future for Badenoch if she finds a distinctive centre-right economic narrative and capitalizes on Labour’s struggles on key issues.

8. On the Syrian Ceasefire and Regional Complexity

• Question from Josh in Liverpool (33:15):

  • The fragile ceasefire, the Kurds, and the shifting landscape in Northeast Syria.

• Rory’s firsthand account:

  • Aleppo’s devastation lingers, with widespread ruin and an almost impossible task of reconstruction.
  • The current truce between the Kurds and the government is “very, very new and contradictory information is coming out all the time.”

• Broader context: The lack of a coordinated international rebuilding effort is stark compared to earlier conflicts like Bosnia, with Syria and Gaza now facing seemingly insurmountable rebuilding challenges (39:11).

Notable Moment

“You will just see the whole centers of cities abandoned and people beginning to create brownfield sites on the outside and people will be living amongst ruins.”
— Rory Stewart (35:24)

9. Oratory in Politics: Lessons from Neil Kinnock

• Question from Bethan in Swansea (42:43):
  • What could Keir Starmer learn from Kinnock’s emotional oratorical style?

Discussion:

• The era of grand, philosophical political speeches appears to have faded in the UK.
• Both hosts struggle to name a current politician with real oratorical prowess, though they note Farage has “real talent” and cite Kemi Badenoch’s recent effective budget speech.

Notable Quotes

“Any time in the last 300 years you asked that question, there would be obvious answers…Now, it’s very strange.”
— Rory Stewart (43:41)

Memorable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• “Trump uses everything to political ends, and, by God, he’s going to use this World Cup with his friend Infantino.”
  — Alastair Campbell (05:27)

• “He would present it as loser countries victimizing the US…and he would use it probably to boost his own poll ratings.”
  — Rory Stewart (07:46)

• “It's Trump with a green dummy in his mouth saying, we're about to see what happens when a baby doesn't get what it wants.”
  — Alastair Campbell (09:27)

• “You are, in part, making a statement that this is okay.”
  — Alastair Campbell (05:27)

• “It’s extraordinary…a rag-bag of peculiar, different types of people…”
  — Rory Stewart (12:36)

• “He paid $40,000 to have a less good badge than you.”
  — Rory Stewart (14:30)

• “You will just see the whole centers of cities abandoned and people beginning to create brownfield sites…”
  — Rory Stewart (35:24)

• “Any time in the last 300 years you asked that question, there would be obvious answers…Now, it’s very strange.”
  — Rory Stewart (43:41)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Intro and World Cup Boycott Introduction: 02:56
• Alastair’s Personal Decision Not to Attend: 05:04
• Wider Impact of European Boycott: 07:00–08:46
• The FIFA Peace Prize and Trump Satire: 09:06
• Davos – Reflections and Realities: 12:36
• Brief on Child Exploitation & Tech: 16:05
• Jenrick Defection, Tory/Right Realignment: 25:03
• Syria Update & Reconstruction Challenges: 33:15–39:11
• Oratory and Starmer vs. Kinnock: 42:43

Episode Tone & Style

True to the show’s ethos, the conversation is sharp, humorous, frank, and filled with lived political experience. Both hosts frequently digress in lively anecdotes but always return to a central argument, balancing disagreement with mutual respect. There’s mockery of the absurdities of current events, but beneath that, a serious discussion about threats to democracy, shifting party identities, and global instability.

This summary captures the episode’s major themes and discussions, providing both a detailed guide for listeners and a concise reference for deeper engagement with the issues at hand.