The podcastocracy is surprisingly quiet on the bombshell revelations in the Casey review. The News Agents – which promises “astute analysis and explanation of the day’s news” by “three of the country’s top journalists” – published a juicy 43-minute episode yesterday on the Middle East, with a lengthy discussion on Trump’s game plan and what comes next for Iran and Israel. They even found time to interview Stella Creasy about abortion. Not a word about the rape gangs scandal which splashed virtually every front page this morning…
At the time of going to pixel, neither Emily Maitlis nor Jon Sopel has tweeted a word about it. Guido even checked Sopel’s Bluesky account, just in case. It is still collecting cobwebs. The ‘centrist-dad’ audio torture that is The Rest is Politics is also yet to trigger the ’emergency podcast’ alarm over one of the biggest political coverups in decades…
In fairness to Lewis Goodall, he discussed the topic on his Sunday LBC slot. But why is his co-host Maitlis so reluctant to wade in? Anything to do with her Rupert Lowe tirade ageing like milk?
Campaign Against Antisemitism has blasted Rory Stewart and Alastair Campbell for their “lack of pushback” when hosting anti-Israel UN Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, on their The Rest is Politics podcast. Stewart said Albanese was described as a “hero” and Campbell called her “passionate”. Though as Guido noted this morning, she’s been formally condemned by France, Germany, and top US officials for her declarations in the UN role. Oh…
Now, a spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism has slammed Bad Al and Rory, telling Guido:
“Being ‘passionate’ and ‘outspoken’ are no excuse for spewing tropes and antisemitism-denial. This ‘hero for some’ has a history of incendiary language and rhetoric about Jews, but when questioned about people accusing her of being antisemitic, she falls back on the Livingstone Formulation, repeatedly asserting that antisemitism is being ‘weaponised’ to silence her criticism of Israel. She knows full well – and tries to persuade Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart into believing – that these accusations arise not due to her advocacy for Gaza but because of her numerous antisemitic Holocaust analogies, dehumanising generalisations about Israelis and her trope-laden social media activity, including posting about ‘the Jewish lobby’. The lack of pushback throughout this interview is disappointing. Mr. Campbell may call her ‘passionate’ and ‘outspoken’, but we have some other choice words.”
Not a great look for the ‘progressive’ hosts of a “leading” podcast…
Rory Stewart and Alastair Campbell’s latest guest on their “Leading” podcast is the UN’s Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories since May 2022, Francesca Albanese. A figure many would consider beyond the pale…
Albanese, who Stewart says is described as a “hero” and is a “great champion for the human rights of Palestinians,” is rabidly anti-Israel and has been formally condemned by France, Germany, and the top US officials for her pronouncements in the role. Here is an extremely limited collection:
- On October 7th said “today’s violence must be put in context. Almost six decades of hostile military rule over an entire civilian population (incomprehensibly ignored by too many official statements & media outlets) are in themselves an aggression, and the recipe for more insecurity for all.“
- Said Israel cannot defend itself after October 7th: “Israel cannot claim the right of self-defence against a threat that emanates from a territory it occupies, from a territory that is under belligerent occupation.“
- Compared the war on Hamas with the Nazi’s “pure race” policy.
- Posted an image of Benjamin Netanyahu next to Adolf Hitler, saying: “This is precisely what I was thinking today.”
- Said a thread claiming “the Israel lobby has bought and paid for Congress and the two ruling parties, as well as cowed the media and universities” is “a must read for the ages.“
- Claimed: “The victims of 7/10 were not killed because of their Judaism but in response to Israel’s oppression.”
- Was condemned by the World Jewish Congress for “constant statements comparing Israel to Nazi-Germany.“
- Said claims that Assad had a “critical role in maintaining Syria’s integrity and political independence (against Western colonialism and theft)… Very similar to Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi. There is a reason why the US goes after those leaders” were “prescient.“
Albanese gets next to no pushback during her one hour interview and Bad Al adds she has “had to live with” being labelled “against Israel.” What on earth could give anyone that idea?
As well as facing calls for removal from Germany and France Albanese has been condemned by current and former US officials including Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism Deborah Lipstadt, Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield, and Ambassador to the UN Human Rights Council Michele Taylor. Oh dear…
JD Vance gave an interview in which he explained the US government had a hierarchy of responsibilities and obligations in the same way that Christian teaching sets out a hierarchy of love -for family, neighbour and so on. Enter ace podcaster and politician Rory Stewart, who warned of the grave dangers of politicians interpreting religion:
“A bizarre take on John 15:12-13 – less Christian and more pagan tribal. We should start worrying when politicians become theologians, assume to speak for Jesus, and tell us in which order to love…”
The Vice-President hit back with a suggestion that “Harris Will Win” Stewart looks up St. Augustine’s concept of Ordo Amoris:
Just google “ordo amoris.” Aside from that, the idea that there isn’t a hierarchy of obligations violates basic common sense. Does Rory really think his moral duties to his own children are the same as his duties to a stranger who lives thousands of miles away? Does anyone? https://t.co/otvv5g1wFN
— JD Vance (@JDVance) January 30, 2025
Incredibly Vance went on: “the problem with Rory and people like him is that he has an IQ of 110 and thinks he has an IQ of 130. This false arrogance drives so much elite failure over the last 40 years.” Stewart has been tweeting back this morning while Bad Al whinges: “It’s very odd that the Vice President of the USA has nothing better to do than troll my podcast partner … perhaps he has not been given a proper job by the Narcissist in Chief.” The spectacle has been seen 5.6 million times so far…
JP Morgan is hosting its UK Leaders Conference on 19th November. The invitation-only event for business honchos usually includes a fireside chat or two and high-profile speakers. The speaker list for next week’s event is already pretty outdated…
Guido hears Rory Stewart and Alastair Campbell are listed as keynote speakers for the conference. How has Rory found the time in between having a meltdown over Trump and leading the requiem for Justin Welby?
In a sign of how confident the bank was of a Harris victory Douglas Alexander and Kim Darroch are also listed as speakers. Maybe they should quickly sub in the News Agents?
Oh well, never mind…
With just hours to go until polls close in the US presidential election, wet Tories have gone into overdrive in their anti-Trump fervour. Ex-Tory leader William Hague has been busy promoting his latest Times opinion piece on Trump titled “We all need him to lose.” Wannabe-Oxford Chancellor Hague pours pro-Labour rhetoric into his impassioned defence of Kamala:
“Isn’t Britain’s new government influenced, in its ambitions for renewable energy and deficit spending to fund public investment, by the confidence of the Biden administration in pursuing those goals? Wasn’t the ill-fated Tory mini-budget of two years ago based on a misreading of Reagan’s tax-cutting agenda all those years ago? Whatever our past affiliations, we should all be Democrats.”
This is echoing arch-wets like erstwhile Tory minister Robert Buckland, who defended Labour’s volunteer campaign for Kamala and said: “I feel that the record of Donald Trump in the presidency is an affront to those who believe in traditional Republicanism.” Meanwhile anyone who wants to talk to podcaster Rory Stewart can barely get a word in between his pro-Harris bleating…
Hague’s tweet of his own article has been seen 1.2 million times. He wrongly claims “no American voter is likely to be influenced by our views” in Britain. There are of course around 200,000 American citizens who can and do vote in US federal elections like this one. Emily Maitlis reckons Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Harris has “fundemantally changed the race” – Hague must have figured his heroic intervention would have a similar effect…
Speaking to Sky News off the back of Rachel Reeves’ Air Passenger Duty hike, Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary said:
“Labour is dependent on those Red Wall seats, and yet every move she makes poisons economic growth and damages the UK’s recovery… it’s the Chancellor who stumbles from policy misstep to policy misstep… I think her policy decisions are incredibly stupid.”
