Podcast Summary: The Rest Is Politics
Episode 511: Is Blair Undermining Starmer on Iran? (Question Time)
Hosts: Alastair Campbell & Rory Stewart
Date: March 11, 2026
Overview
In this episode of "The Rest Is Politics," Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart take listener questions on the rapidly evolving crisis in Iran, focusing on Tony Blair's comments about Keir Starmer's response, the wider ramifications of U.S., UK, and Israeli actions, and the challenge of navigating international alliances in a new geopolitical era. With deep dives into the UK's foreign policy, historical analogies, and the reality on the ground in Iran, this episode offers insider analysis and frank debate on the most consequential crisis in recent years.
Main Discussion Points and Insights
1. Blair vs. Starmer: The Role of Former PMs in Foreign Policy
- Tony Blair's Comments: Did he undermine Starmer, and if so, how?
- Alastair Campbell: Defends Blair by stating headlines were exaggerated, but acknowledges Blair was not sensitive enough to the political context and the audience he was addressing—a pro-Israel Jewish News fundraiser ([04:19]).
- Rory Stewart: Suggests Blair "strongly, strongly gave the impression" he would have backed Trump and Israel more than Starmer, fueling negative headlines for Starmer and making his difficult position even harder ([00:09], [02:39], [03:35]).
- Both concur: experienced ex-PMs should know there’s rarely truly ‘off the record’, especially on live issues like this ([02:45], [03:21], [08:15]).
"There is no such thing as off the record. There is no such thing as Chatham House Rule."
– Alastair Campbell ([02:45])
2. UK Position and Cabinet Turmoil Over Iran
- Confusion and Leaks: Uncertainty over UK’s response and internal disagreements:
- Rory Stewart: Points out contradictory leaks about cabinet members' stances, suggesting a lack of clarity or unity ([09:51]).
- Alastair Campbell: Flags the dangers of leaks during security crises, and the need for communications discipline ([14:26]).
"It is a time when you have to have absolute grip on the communications. You can't have people... What the hell are they all doing?"
– Alastair Campbell ([14:26])
- UK’s Military Role: No British assets used in initial attacks; ongoing debate over cooperation with U.S ([11:37]).
3. Broader Transatlantic Tensions
- Europe’s Growing Assertion: Both hosts advocate for more independent European foreign policy.
- Rory Stewart: Outlines a narrative for Europe to stop being U.S. "lackeys" and suggests the UK and EU need a respectful distance, leveraging U.S. dependence on allies ([16:33], [17:01], [20:01]).
- Alastair Campbell: Supports creating “a new definition of international law”; emphasizes values-based alliances involving, for example, Canada, Australia, and Korea ([21:53]).
"We need a narrative. We need some way of respectfully saying to the U.S. we’re distancing ourselves. We're not going to be your lackeys anymore."
– Rory Stewart ([20:29])
4. Historical Perspectives & What Churchill Might Do
- Reflection on Leadership: Citing Churchill, they debate the ideals of sovereign action and when the UK should intervene abroad.
- Rory Stewart: Churchill would articulate values and interests clearly against being a U.S. “mini-me” ([27:22]).
- Alastair Campbell: Highlights the cautionary lessons of past entanglements and the dangers of war driven by impulse ([30:11]).
5. Situation in Iran: Realities on the Ground
- Limited Information: Communications blackout makes reliable reporting difficult ([31:55]).
- Public Sentiment: Majority of Iranians detest the regime but are now caught between oppressive leadership and being targets of U.S. and Israeli military strikes ([33:45], [34:12]).
- Complex Identities: The diversity and divisions within Iranian society complicate assumptions about public opinion or opposition ([34:50], [35:55]).
- Regime Stability: Attacks may be reinforcing the regime’s strength through nationalism, not weakening it ([38:57]).
6. UK and European Defence Capabilities
- Military Decline: The disintegration of UK armed forces capacity since the Cold War highlighted as a major issue jeapordizing future autonomy ([24:27], [25:17]).
"We have more than halved our Army, Navy, Air Force since the height of the Cold War. And that's just a fact..."
– Alastair Campbell ([24:27])
7. Media, Political Framing, and the Long Game
- Media Influence: The narrative around ‘victory’ and war’s end is being dictated by Trump through a few, often impulsive, remarks ([36:36], [37:29]).
- Political Implications for Britain:
- Trump is deeply unpopular in the UK—demonstrated by polling across political parties ([37:59]).
- Starmer’s cautious stance aligns with popular sentiment, even as he faces intense political attacks ([37:59]).
8. Brexit, Sovereignty, and Hypocrisy
- Farage, Tice, Rees-Mogg Called Out: Hosts highlight the contradiction between Brexiters’ calls for sovereignty from the EU and their desire to align automatically with U.S. actions ([47:52]).
"One almost gets the impression that their worldview is they don't like being told what to do by the French and the Germans, but they want to be told what to do by the US and Israel."
– Rory Stewart ([48:28])
9. Israel’s Domestic Politics
- Netanyahu’s Resilience: Recent war has boosted Netanyahu’s prospects, with even his usual opponents rallying behind him ([45:31]).
10. Europe’s Division and the Far Right
- Fragmentation Risks: Europe’s lack of unity is seen as a strategic opportunity for powers seeking to divide and weaken it ([50:47]).
- Rising Far Right: Economic shocks from the crisis benefit far-right parties across Europe, a trend likely to continue ([53:04]).
Notable Quotes & Moments
-
On Blair's Comments:
"Tony should have been a lot more sensitive... This was a Jewish news fundraiser. This is a very, very pro-Israel audience."
– Alastair Campbell ([04:19]) -
On Cabinet Discord:
"It doesn't seem to me as though those stories feel like a clean, clear decision tree. They feel like an almighty disagreement within the Cabinet."
– Rory Stewart ([09:51]) -
On Iran's Predicament:
"They are now feeling like they are on the receiving end of a massive American Israeli war. And that is, psychologically, I'd have thought, pretty crushing."
– Alastair Campbell ([34:12]) -
On Europe Standing Up:
"We've got to be able to not be dragged into whatever mad adventures Trump or his successors want to pursue."
– Rory Stewart ([20:29]) -
On Brexit and U.S. Alignment:
"They argued that Brexit was about taking back control... Yet many...are now arguing the UK should automatically follow the United States in the Iran crisis."
– Listener question paraphrased by Alastair Campbell / Rory Stewart ([47:52]-[49:43])
Key Timestamps
- [00:09] – Opening framing: Blair’s stance, Trump’s pressure, media headlines
- [02:06] – Listener question on Blair and Starmer
- [04:19] – Context: Blair’s event, audience sensitivities
- [09:51] – Cabinet leaks and confusion over UK’s Iran strategy
- [11:37] – What British military did or didn’t actually do
- [14:26] – The perils of Cabinet leaking during war
- [16:33] – Europe’s possible new narrative: autonomy from U.S.
- [20:29] – Europe’s potential leverage vs. U.S. over Iran
- [24:27] – Decline in UK military forces
- [27:22] – Churchill’s political philosophy and application to Trump
- [31:55] – What’s happening on the ground in Iran (listener question)
- [34:12] – Iranian diaspora view: “two wars at once”
- [38:57] – Regime hardening post-strikes, leadership analysis
- [45:31] – Israeli domestic politics, Netanyahu’s revived popularity
- [47:52] – Brexiters caught aligning with U.S., hypocrisy on sovereignty
- [53:04] – Economic and political impacts in Europe; rise of the far right and final reflections
Conclusion
Campbell and Stewart dissect a uniquely perilous geopolitical moment, balancing analysis of political maneuvering in Westminster with a wide lens on shifting world order, values, European cohesion, and the human cost within Iran. They voice concern about media narratives shaped by a few powerful men, the ongoing fragmentation of Western alliances, and the difficult choices facing UK politics in an increasingly dangerous world.
For further reading, the hosts suggest:
- Vali Nasr’s NYT article on Iranian nationalism
- Gerard Russell on Iranian society
- Winston Churchill’s “Sinews of Peace” speech
Next Week: The hosts tease follow-up discussions on the repercussions of economic shocks and the changing tide of European and UK politics post-Iran crisis.