461. Question Time: China’s Spy Web, the Tel Aviv Fan Ban, and Japan’s New Thatcher

What was the phone-hacking scandal and how did it escalate into a major crisis? How was Alastair himself implicated? What did Rupert Murdoch's marriage to Wendi Deng mean for his family's fortune? Alastair is joined by two-time Rupert Murdoch biographer, Michael Wolff, to discuss all this and more.Unlock the full five-part mini-series The Rise and Fall of Rupert Murdoch – only with TRIP+. Members enjoy bonus episodes, ad-free listening, and early access to new shows. Start your 7-day free trial today at ⁠⁠therestispolitics.com⁠⁠   Written & Produced by: Nicole Maslen Video Editor: Josh Smith Social Producer: Celine Charles Filmed by: Charlie Rodwell Senior Producer: Callum Hill Artwork: Alistair Dixon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is Trump selling peace to the highest bidder? Is the Farage surge in Wales a warning shot for Westminster? Why is the UK going backwards again on mental health? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. __________ Get more from The Rest Is Politics with TRIP+. Enjoy bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access, live show ticket priority, our members’ newsletter, and private Discord community – plus exclusive mini-series like The Rise and Fall of Rupert Murdoch. Start your 7-day free trial today 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 ⁠https://www.fuseenergy.com/politics⁠ ⚡ Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ nordvpn.com/restispolitics It's risk-free with Nord's 30 day money back guarantee ✅ Find out more about Google Gemini’s free Pro Plan for students at https://www.gemini.google/students/ To save your company time and money, open a Revolut Business account today via get.revolut.com/z4lF/therestispolitics, and add money to your account by 31st of December 2025 to get a £200 welcome bonus or equivalent in your local currency. For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com Instagram: @restispolitics Twitter: @restispolitics Email: [email protected]__________ Social Producer: Celine Charles Video Editor: Josh Smith Producer: Evan Green, India Dunkley Senior Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Tom Whiter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What was the nature of Rupert Murdoch's relationship with Margaret Thatcher? What led to News Corp's near-collapse in the late 1980s, and how did the company recover? Why and how did Tony Blair's "New Labour" court Rupert Murdoch's support in the 1990s? Alastair is joined by two-time Rupert Murdoch biographer, Michael Wolff, to discuss all this and more.Unlock the full five-part mini-series The Rise and Fall of Rupert Murdoch – only with TRIP+. Members enjoy bonus episodes, ad-free listening, and early access to new shows. Start your 7-day free trial today at ⁠therestispolitics.com⁠   Written & Produced by: Nicole Maslen Video Editor: Josh Smith Social Producer: Celine Charles Filmed by: Charlie Rodwell Senior Producer: Callum Hill Artwork: Alistair Dixon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who’s offering hope in politics today? Where are the real environmental success stories? And what one law would Rory and Alastair make a reality? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. 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 ⁠https://www.fuseenergy.com/politics⁠ ⚡ Find out more about how Google’s AI is helping fuel the UK’s growth and transformation and read the report at goo.gle/aiworks. Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ nordvpn.com/restispolitics It's risk-free with Nord's 30 day money back guarantee ✅ To save your company time and money, open a Revolut Business account today via ⁠https://get.revolut.com/z4lF/therestispolitics ⁠, and add money to your account by 31st of December 2025 to get a £200 welcome bonus or equivalent in your local currency. For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com Instagram: @restispolitics Twitter: @restispolitics Email: [email protected] Social Producer: Celine Charles Video Editor: Josh Smith Producer: Evan Green, India Dunkley Senior Producer: Callum Hill Head of Politics: Tom Whiter Exec Producer: Tony Pastor, Jack Davenport Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Has Trump really brought a “new dawn” to the Middle East? How can one of the most broken places on earth begin to be rebuilt? And is Argentina mourning the death of a libertarian dream?  Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. 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 ⁠https://www.fuseenergy.com/politics⁠ ⚡ Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ nordvpn.com/restispolitics It's risk-free with Nord's 30 day money back guarantee ✅ Find out more about how Google’s AI is helping fuel the UK’s growth and transformation and read the report at goo.gle/aiworks. To save your company time and money, open a Revolut Business account today via ⁠⁠https://get.revolut.com/z4lF/therestispolitics ⁠⁠, and add money to your account by 31st of December 2025 to get a £200 welcome bonus or equivalent in your local currency. Instagram: @restispolitics Twitter: @restispolitics Email: [email protected] Social Producer: Celine Charles Video Editor: Josh Smith Producer: Evan Green, India Dunkley Senior Producer: Callum Hill Head of Politics: Tom Whiter Exec Producer: Tony Pastor, Jack Davenport Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices