"Boris Johnson is kind of a monster" | Rory Stewart on British Politics (Part 1)

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Born in Hong Kong and raised in Malaysia, commissioned in the Black Watch when only a teenager, Rory Stewart’s career bears little resemblance to the typical 21st century career politician. After serving as a diplomat in Indonesia, the Balkans and Iraq, a foundation director in Afghanistan, and as Secretary of State for International Development, he left frontline politics altogether to work on a charitable project in Amman, Jordan. He joins to share his thoughts on Boris Johnson’s government in this time of perpetual crisis, and explore the challenges facing politicians of all affiliations today.

[@HowToAcademyMindset]

Watch part 2 here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bp-YdptvrKungJY

[@shanisheppard9305]

Thanks for sharing 👍

[@deebo27]

A true leader, worker, thinker, doer , negotiator. He is the sort of calibre we should demand for government. NOT 'a character'

[@redboyjan]

Nah, the brits want less foreigners mate. Never gunna happen

[@pyroyergen5986]

I dont remember his policies as Tory leadership candidate, probably because i was more focused on his approach to Brexit. He was factual and said whatever happens would be hard and long term work. I wiki'd him and was amazed by his life experiences. This is a man of the world and i think his experience as a diplomat allows him to reach across the political spectrum to everybody to make important points

[@pyroyergen5986]

Furthermore is the if political parties could take internal criticism and warning of arsonists it would help prevent their whole house catching fire

[@JelMain]

He had a project in mind when Boris imploded us. Since then, Yale's Craig Wright saw me use his own work to demonstrate I likely qualify as one of his.

[@heathermarks3483]

How do we persuade Rory Stewart to re-enter British politics, and save us all?

[@carolinejones3106]

How indeed? What an excellent question. Answers welcomed.

[@rubstroll1]

Promise him a piece of cheese…

[@AAdresscode]

Change the system so people who 'want' leadership are not given the power they crave...but leaders who will do the job as the 'duty' and service would rise to the occasion. Its a tall order but it is the leadership of a nation(s). Sounds to me like what he is saying aswell...

[@pamtufnell6751]

Independents don't get enough funding

[@JelMain]

You can't. I was alongside him when we all got burned. There's no going back.

[@benw-king3380]

The best leader the Tories never had.

[@robertsmuggles6871]

why?

[@diskgrinder]

Labour supporter here, and I agree.

[@robertsmuggles6871]

@@diskgrinder good to hear that - lib/lab/and con are now just theatre acts. Pantomime or farce - directed by TV editors and producers. Democracy is not supposed to work like this. Stewart was just being himself - is this too much to ask from these people ?

[@maralynmitchell8261]

Never !!

[@greghill7759]

I happened to watch a programme in which Mr Stewart gave his experiences in, and opinions on Afghanistan. His informed analysis, and obvious love and compassion for the people made me want to find out more about him, and I was astonished to discover he was a Tory M.P. I'm not a Conservative by any stretch of the imagination, but I believe this man deserves our attention, if only for his level of curiosity, humility and excellent sense of humour. Who knows... we may even discover him to be impervious to corruption.

[@richardkell4888]

Yes, he is astoundingly exceptional, I hold him as a role model.

[@anthonymccready4057]

Party of the Rich - Easier for a camel to enter the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

[@opticnerve8927]

Rory Stewart would make a fine PM pity he has left can he find a safe sear and still be selected, greetings from Hong Kong/Scotland

[@randylahey2607]

He's a Tory, so no, he wouldn't make a fine PM. He would make a rotten PM.

[@am4793]

Sorry, the majority of the country is tired of the Tories. +60% of the voting public do not want tory governments so we must unite against the 40% who vote rightwing.

[@corryjookit7818]

@@am4793 Don't be "Sorry". I agree with you the majority are sick of the Tories. I recall that in both 1996 and 1997 the Tories were sliding one by one into a trough of scandal. The newspapers seemed to carry massive stories with lurid headlines every day. I say seemed to, but in fact they did, as each and every day brought fresh revelations about their lives and it sells lots of papers. Different times now with social media. Pfeifle Johnson himself has been mired in scandal most of his adult life. The Tories recognised Pfeifle could win campaigns which is why they looked the other way for years. They spend their lives in a very narrow world. Same schools, same universities, same social circles, same GP, same private clinics. Same private hospitals, their children all know each other, that's if their children aren't in a boarding school., and are able to mix and socialise during the day and at their various after school activities. It's not a great system for a decent world is it ?

[@LordFuzzandBeak]

@@am4793 please don’t fall into the American ‘tribalism’ trap - thankfully British politics remain much more diverse and complicated. Just look at Boris Johnson’s policies, on many of them, he pulled the rug out from under labour. The Tories in their current composition are shite as a governing party, but Rory would make a fine PM, better than anything labour has to offer, though I wish it were otherwise.

[@tigerphoenix7121]

Absolutely agreed. I thought this long ago; was very sad when he left politics. I do hope that he returns. He is very experienced in many aspects of geopolitics. Eloquent and clear. Likeable too. He would be a superb PM

[@JustMe-bx8gu]

Rory is the only politician I know who approaches a country as a company. Meaning he knows it takes work to fix things not words. And he is not hiding for issues that might not earn him political points but if successful makes a difference to people's lifes. Rory is not a contender but if you had a choice, Rory or any of the current contenders for PM......

[@jantelopez5626]

this is what is lacking in a cabinet full of journalists and PR people and lawyers... they dont know how create or troubleshoot or get people to work together .. all theyve ever done is talk about other people. it takes a certain type of character and motivation to get communities and experts and innovators to work together .. and the job of public health requires skills to do this but much more driven and instinctive so decisions are made in time with clarity .. so its a tragedy that we had the literal opposite of what we needed in a public health emergency .. over 100,000 excess deaths in 2 years would be considered a disaster for an NGO and governments who may fund them would demand inquiry.. so i find it baffling that boris johnson wasn't told to step aside for the management of lockdown in around june 2020 . he doesn't care about science or protecting lives

[@SplashTasty]

jesus christ. Stop obsessing with running countries like companies. Its so stupid.

[@graemewalker1267]

@@jantelopez5626 It would help if all the members of the cabinet had some grounding in the department's they are responsible for, that way they understand the issues at the front line and make decisions that are effective and well received based on that knowledge and not the wishy-washy garbage from some woke civil service a*seholes who clearly have problems doing any kind of multitasking i.e. breathing & thinking.

[@deebo27]

Rory is the sort of doer and pragmatic negotiator who can work with people of different positions. This is the type of person that is so desperately needed in parliament and government

[@JustMe-bx8gu]

Just read the article on 'Daily Sceptic' about how bad Neil Ferguson's predictive model was and wondered if Rory would have questioned it a bit more. Especially since the model was wrong on so many previous occasions.

[@thatwasthedaythatwas]

Come back Rory.

[@jakoflynn2560]

Wouldn’t it be great to have a smart and honest man as a leader of Great Britain?

[@f-ergo9670]

Yeah ... right.

[@mariadange06]

Sadly Rory is too honest to be a politician in today's WEF's influence on policies and agendas.

[@eKh79]

LOL. Comment of the day.

[@jimlyon7276]

For those who don't know, the WEF/WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM is a PSYCHOPATHIC OLIGARCHY. - AN ENEMY OF DEMOCRACY & POTENTIALLY very DANGEROUS !

[@fabiengerard8142]

Which means politics is supposed to be just another word for mafia?

[@mariadange06]

@@fabiengerard8142 duh

[@dustykashifeathers858]

Rory Stewart for Prime Minister, please!!! ✨✨✨

[@belindamay8063]

dusty K F . Stop looking for heroes. It’s a bad sign. And very unhealthy as well. Deliverance from anxiety and uncertainty won’t come from that direction. The proof lies in 20thC History failures - with Hitler, Franco, Joe Stalin, Mussolini. The better future lies with education of the more strenuous kind; a renewed and deeper interest in an active democracy and its historic achievements. There are no short cuts. But the air is thick with people asking for them, or sharp little men of narrow talent sticking their necks out on behalf of powerful interests.

[@hugoclarke3284]

I've always found it curious that we don't have (unbiased) education in politics at school

[@dustykashifeathers858]

@@belindamay8063 and you have one finger pointed at me ; and three for Rishi Sunak; and for all I know you could be an internet generated fake personality as your KZbin page is a blank...

[@michaelstapelberg7751]

rory is spot on..

[@ImmaculateKSkogemyr]

This man is GOOOLD! Please share his interviews... Let's help him open other peoples minds..

[@stevejhkhfda]

Hope he comes back to the Conservative party some day. He is a true compassionate Tory.

[@nathanrose3523]

Thought compassion and voting for a party who pick on disabled poor or anyone else who can't defend themselves are mutually exclusive

[@hwica2753]

Rory is one if the few Tories I would vote for. Everyone should read his book about walking across Afghanistan.

[@grahamthebaronhesketh.]

Rory is a reliable individual.

[@davidwright8432]

The Tory party is now a human-free environment. Is this a British and UK thing, or do nation with (say) proportional representation have kinder, gentler (terms of comparison, not perfection!) political systems?

[@GibsonFender]

He’s a diamond. I’m Labour 🌹

[@lewissnell1946]

love this, a real detailed interview with Rory!

[@jamesgriffithsmusic]

A few things interesting facts about Rory 'Nice Guy' Stewart''s voting record while he was a Tory MP. 1. Voted against retaining the EU 'Charter of Human Rights' after Britain left the EU (2016) 2. Generally voted against measures to combat climate change. 3. Consistently voted to sell off the UK's state-owned forests. 4. Generally voted against giving more powers to local councils. 5. Generally voted to restrict the scope of legal aid. 6.Consistently voted against greater regulation of gambling. 7. Consistently voted in favour of a stricter asylum system. 8. Consistently voted in favour of ending financial support for 16-19 year olds in Training a & Further Education 9. Generally voted against spending public money to create guaranteed jobs for young people who have spent a long time unemployed. 10.Consistently voted against raising welfare benefits at least in line with prices. 11. Almost always voted against paying higher benefits over longer periods to those too ill to work. 12. Generally voted for reducing housing benefit for those tenants deemed to have 'extra bedrooms'.

[@rossfindlay7760]

Exactly just because he was correct on Boris, shouldn't deflect from the fact he's consistently advocated for the continual oppression of his common man. Well said.

[@cricketerfrench7501]

Wow you mean he really is a Tory.

[@billturner6564]

Your making me like him now ... On a more serious note Rory wasn't at all bothered by his m8 George Osborne receiving millions from UBER and forcing then London mare Boris to drop new legislation to block UBER from London We just found out George went all expenses paid to California to visit UBER hq Ps Rory wasn't to bothered be George selling the British electricity grid to China ether

[@Areflection4]

Thanks for this, it is good to know Rory's halo has some blood on it!

[@keebs1152]

It’s so obvious that this list was written by someone with a huge bias. It’s so prejudiced as to be farcical.

[@lizauger9828]

Yes agree I saw boris answer questions by the committee last week and it was obvious that he couldn't really give good clear answers to these serious problem that we are facing, he was just blustering and saying things to move on he looks tired and obviously has far too much going on at-home. Yes he dosnt do detail does he ?

[@helenswan705]

"How does that translate to getting stuff done" Great question! I share the frustration. All talk, no action - on climate for example. or sneaky actions we aren't told about.

[@jantelopez5626]

regarding the sneaky actions.. isn't that the exact opposite of what brexit was supposed to accomplish.. wasn't brexit supposed to give us more say on what happens not no say or discussion in parliament!!

[@mickmiah7605]

He is such an atypical tory. Given that most tories are hell bent on scavenging off the poor whilst absolving the rich from contributing to the state I wonder if this man is really a Liberal Democrat?

[@shaun906]

I thought the exact same thing, he should be a lib dem!

[@verystripeyzebra]

You need to check out his voting record.

[@LearnThaiRapidMethod]

Not so atypical as he’d like us to believe… methinks.

[@JamesMc2051]

He'd struggle over time in any to stay the course if that party leader was unable to accept diverse (and occasionally dissenting) views within their party. That's the nature of party politics and the whips. It attracts those able to bend their opinions to suit, as leaders and policies change. It draws party loyalists more often than principled types, especially during times of weaker leaders. It's what puts many good people off getting into politics. But - yes - closest fit is probably Lib Dems, I think, in recent years. I had a quick read of his wiki page there and see he said he'd never voted Conservative prior to joining them. In a rural region like Cumbria I would bet he'd have been a Lib Dem voter, if anyone. Politics aside, he's lived an impressive life and is a smart guy.

[@nobodysfool4444]

Very well said.

[@fenlander7114]

A most interesting and welcome podcast. I knew Rory when he was a Cumbrian MP and felt disappointed back then how controlled he clearly was by his party advisers eg Mosley, so great to see him able to flourish as a freer agent these days.

[@claudiaxander]

Last night, a journalist on a news talk show said "Boris had sociopathic tendencies", to which Douglas Murray retorted "Don't be so ridiculous!" ... Now I'm sure Douglas is a complete one! Why are those with serious behavioural disorders allowed in any position of management over others, surely this is the first step that must be taken!?!

[@Boviss1Bovis]

Because there's a "normality" about mental illness. It must be a small minority of people who have childhoods in which they are loved, protected and nurtured - and encouraged and helped to develop their own skills and interests. Damaged parents create damaged children and in this way mental illness becomes a vicious circle, a self-perpetuating "normality". The leaders in industry and politics have disproportionate numbers of psychopaths. Douglas Murray is an ideologue. His concern is not directed towards what is 'true', but whatever tends to support the self-serving ideology that he promotes. He has the conclusions first and reverse engineers and edits the data to support it. This fact alone makes him well worth avoiding.

[@claudiaxander]

@@Boviss1Bovis They are overwhelmingly born that way. I've known plenty of very privileged children that were psychos that never suffered like the solid lovely working class people I've known from terrible backgrounds.

[@freddiep2639]

It wasn't a journalist Douglas was talking to it was Alastair Campbell... He was the spin doctor under Blair who led us into Iraq with the Americans under false pretences. It was Campbell himself who influenced the 'dodgy dossier' on Saddam's WMD's capabilities. Get your facts straight or else you are likely to look silly. Douglas Murray has for months now written plentifully in the Spectator, of all places, decrying Boris and calling for him to leave. Don't get lost in spin.

[@claudiaxander]

@@freddiep2639 The Bush 'Team' conjured up the WMD twaddle. Blair and bush were suckered by Chaney.

[@claudiaxander]

Also Douglas Murray, when discussing the trans issue, was incandescent with rage regarding that " Once Promising Young Chickens were now becoming girls!", So he was most annoyed that young gay boys, by changing sex, were being taken off the market!.

[@DavidR_192]

If only this fine, integral man could be our next PM.

[@adampowell5376]

Rory if you are reading I hope that you find this helpful. I think that Johnson wanted to be PM because Cameron was. He never forgave the fact someone the year below him at Eton became PM. This is first and foremost a school feud. That may be why he took a dislike to you as well.

[@bosoerjadi2838]

Something similar is the case with Trump. He was and still is intensely jealous of the Clintons and the Obamas, both from a working class background, earning money, appraisal and admiration in old money circles during their political careers. While he was filing for bankruptcy after bankruptcy, being shunned in old money circles and laughed at, not even behind his back. It is not a rare phenomenon. Many celebrities have aspired and acquired fame and fortune purely because of having been bullied and shamed when in highschool.

[@adampowell5376]

@@bosoerjadi2838 Thank you. I think that you have got the beginnings of a good church sermon there, illustrating the need for forgiveness and to control ambition. Johnson put personal rivalry and personal ambition ahead of the national interest. I am glad that I have not got that on my conscience.

[@bosoerjadi2838]

@@adampowell5376 I still think it is crazy to realise that Brexit has been realised purely because of Johnson's pettiness towards Cameron's political career and Trump's presidency because of his pettiness towards the Clintons' success in the public speakers circuit. Edit. Almost as crazy as realising that the Trojan War was fought because Athena and Aphrodite were arguing who'd be the most desirable goddess and because Paris wanted to have a one night stand with Agamemnon's wife, Helena.

[@adampowell5376]

@@bosoerjadi2838 I don't think I said anything about Brexit; that is a long term project that has been in the making for over 30 years driven by people seeking to decimate the UK and turn it into a dictatorship.

[@mogznwaz]

Don’t be ridiculous

[@samaitcheson7057]

Mr Stewart's comments on tribalism and the need for political reform are important. The adversarial nature of British politics has become a punch and judy show. Coalition is a dirty word in British politics while co-operative problem solving is the modus operandi of many of our colleagues in Europe. It's not a magic bullet for complex problems but it is a foundation to think together about solutions.

[@susantaylor927]

We need a General Election with Proportional Representation! No hope or confidence in any of the candidates!

[@RGNELSON1]

The message that comes across from Rory Stewart, the Prime Minister this country should have had, is that we have collectively fallen into a Johnson-created psychopathic snake pit without much hope of an Indiana Jones kind of escape. A revolution is required under this condition in order to provide the ladder of escape. There is no alternative as every other avenue has been blocked.

[@heathermoore9892]

Stewart got sacked he should get over it,sour grapes.

[@JelMain]

He's got several chums who'd qualify - me included! But to be frank, the flipside is why should we? You're too dumb to get rid of these wasters.

[@jimlyon7276]

Regarding your comment " psychopathic snake pit" - for those who wnt to know more, take a look @ - The world’s biggest problem? Powerful psychopaths. | Brian Klaas @ kzbin.info/www/bejne/aZalf5Jvp7KijKs - HTH?

[@jimlyon7276]

@@heathermoore9892 - Do you always "look through the wrong end of the telescope"?

[@jimlyon7276]

Re your comment "we have collectively fallen into a Johnson-created psychopathic snake pit " - I quite agree e.g. that Bo Jo is a paranoid psychopath who had a toxic childhood ( A clear "red flag" - There are now 2 books out on that!) Also this You Tube video is beginning to indicate the size of the problem - "The world's biggest problem? Powerful psychopaths". by Brian Klaas - kzbin.info/www/bejne/aZalf5Jvp7KijKs - The trouble with most history is it never gets into the psychology of world leaders. It was only by reading THE best child psychologist ALICE MILLER (R.I.P.) that I worked out that last century's "great" dictators- HITLER/STALIN/MAO/POL POT were all PSYCHOPATHS (mainly, if not all paranoid) because they were all abused as children- NOT some mere random coincidence! The world has STILL failed to learn our lesson- NEVER EVER GIVE POWER TO A PSYCHOPATH !

[@danieljackson269]

The whole conservative party are monsters. Labour comes a close second.

[@billkingston4402]

We could certainly do with more people with Rory's mindset

[@dharmacharinipasadanandi7110]

One thing's for sure, we are straight back into austerity, once any new tory leader is appointed. That coupled with a loopy London mayor is going to signal hardship, hardship and more hardship, for the poorest.

[@alastair6356]

Would Rory if he became PM role back the laws and privileges that have been give to the establishment, I think not . The UK is a broken country and is in need of serious reform . The UK is failed state run but oligarchs big corporations there is no democracy.

[@davidbeeson5889]

Please get back here and run for the PM job again OR head up the Liberals and try to become PM via them at the next general election - could be the better option because of the anti Europian conservatives now dominating due to Boris's misguided direction.

[@corryjookit7818]

#davidbeeson He's not an MP so the only thing he can do is research, research, research. The reality of how hard politics has passed him by. Why didn't he ever stand for his local council or school boards.? It would provide him with a background much more suited to what he wants. You don't have to become an MP to help individuals at home. I think he's unrealistic. I also can't understand why he cannot work with local,organisations to help people here. I think it's preferable if he could get some decent experience of life here. If he's always working with people in counftries whose culture is entirely different from a constituency here. He seems muddled in places. I could help him by giving him a dose of reality.

[@davidbeeson5889]

@@corryjookit7818 I just feel Rory is an intelligent and good person with integrity and would make a great leader and he'd be able to rectify Boris's balls ups. He'd probably give the system the serious kick up the arse it needs right now to bring it into the 21st century. The fact you have to be an MP to go for PM is an example of that out of date system. There's a job - there's a person! Should be simple. In my opinion he seems to have much more insight and experience than the other candidates.

[@verystripeyzebra]

@@davidbeeson5889 I know it doesn't feel like it , but, the PM is selected by parliament from the MPs in Parliament. That is constitutionally what is happening when the leader of the party with a majority assumes the office.

[@willyum3920]

I wouldn't vote for a the Tory party if I was on fire and their manifesto contained promises of buckets of water........... buuuuuttttt hot damn I do respect Rory Stewart so much. I wish he would join the lib dems at least. I love that he wears his agenda on his sleeve and wow he knows the rest of the world we live in. Big fan.

[@VictorSneller]

Rory Stewart: DO WHAT MUST BE DONE! Do whatever it takes to seize control!!!

[@johnthompson2543]

It’s a reflection of the nous of the British electorate that they could not see that Johnson was utterly unfit for public office. However it is a reflection of the Conservative MPs that he did not get their support in the 2019 leadership contest. I am by nature a Labour voter. However, I was on my prayer mat that Rory Stewart would win the leadership contest. I felt that he was the one politician who could heal the schism created by Brexit and the likes of Johnson, Rees Mogg et al. Unfortunately, the ship has sailed. What a missed opportunity.

[@johnsometimesoffandsometim8933]

Rory is a very intelligent individual who sadly has an abysmal voting record regarding the general populous. Perhaps a man of experience, or bad experience, a wasted talent, or a misguided soul I don't know.

[@nicolab2075]

Or perhaps he's right? 😄

[@gillesnewton993]

All that's wrong is he doesn't have corporate media behind him.

[@jantelopez5626]

the general populous are not particularly thoughtful.. no need to be PC about it. inclusion doesn't mean pretending voters dont need to be able to reason to a basic standard. "democracy doesn't mean that my ignorance is as good as your knowledge" or words to that effect.

[@jantelopez5626]

​@@gillesnewton993 or troll farms working for overseas intelligence agencies / rich taxdodgers / money launderers / assorted grifters who can't fight an honest fight

[@1Thedairy]

He’s got a vindictive side to his nature that personally find an absolute turn off!

[@declanfinan8842]

I hope he’s as good a man as he portrays himself to be, but there’s a lot on money in ‘charity’ work these days, a fact I find troublesome. Personally, I don’t see a niche for him in politics.

[@re1752]

You need a webcam from 2022, great guy

[@martincheeseman5809]

Hi Rory, huge respect!

[@piggyman1585]

Good.man😊

[@stanleyooi7792]

What a shame he was not given the chance to be our (U.K.) Prime Minister…he would have been better than BJ and probably also better than the leaders of the other parties as well 😕🙏🏻

[@shaun906]

unfortunately the patients have taken over the asylum, the ERG broke the tory party!

[@tobygrantham7215]

His voting record is abhorrent, however he is extremely well spoken I’ll give him that

[@pattismithurs9023]

A brilliant man. This is an explanation as to why we can't have good government anywhere. In the US we had Al Franken in the Senate, who was forced to resign without a chance to defend himself against a stupid, out of date allegation of sexual misconduct (groping a woman while he was a comedian, many years earlier). Franken is a youtube presence and continues to be the same straight-thinker that Rory Stewart is.

[@theghostoftom]

I agree, that juxtaposition between Franken under flimsy allegations stepping down to not tarnish his position vs everything the GOP has done in the light of day over the past decade. It beggars belief. We have similar with Sir Kier Starmer being accursed of breaking pandemic rules like BJ did. The difference being though Starmer said he would stand sown if found guilty he still stood the allegations long enough for Durham Police to properly investigate and find him innocent. I wish Franken had done that.

[@Adipsia1]

I'm from the UK and I totally agree about Al Franken and Rory.

[@dnyhan]

Fascinating viewing

[@Adipsia1]

If Rory were to head up any party I would vote for him without any hesitation..

[@sarahsnowe]

Mr. Stewart thought in 2017 that Boris Johnson was "a relatively amiable person, somebody who could have good people around him"? Obviously he somehow missed the famous Eddie Mair interview in 2013, when Johnson was revealed to be a blustering master of evasion, an adulterer, a thug, and an obvious liar: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kHLbcmBveZmLadE. He just sits there with a kind of sullen smirk when Mair suggests that he is in fact "a nasty piece of work." Johnson's reputation had been firmly established by 2017, and it's to the eternal discredit of the Tories that they promoted him as leader and to the eternal shame of the British public that they voted for this revolting bloated oaf.

[@thehonestaspy102]

Its such a shame the Tories didn't have the sense to back him, he actually had integrity and intelligence

[@3bebles]

There is a strong fibre in Rory's cloth that is at the same time warm, soft and waterproof, but even though it is woven in patriotic colours, there are sharp and unforgiving scissors clicking away and ready to cut through it without any pattern. Cut to shred! You could think that those blades would belong to the opposition tailors but NO, they do not! In fact they are on the cutting list of his own tailor's shop, complete with serrated edges. To give fold and stretch to that cloth, we must first of all get rid of those killer shears!

[@b62boom1]

Fascinating. He always seemed like he was swimming against the Tory tide a little, when he was a Minister.

[@myardley6653]

The intro was far too long

[@timpullen4941]

Jees the woman certainly knows how to be gold medallist talker.

[@dougspray7160]

This is what you can get when you get a man educated at Eton/ Harrow, Oxbridge and did our Leader have a commission in a pukka regiment. What on earth does a man with this sort of background understand about the problems, financial and emotional, of the majority of its citizens. Politics and Life can be a game to such a leader. Time to try a new leader surely in the games room of Parliament

[@CompelledUsername]

Tony Benn was educated in such places. Some of the finest and most noble socialists to ever live were well off. It’s not always a perfect indicator.

[@johnwright9372]

George Orwell went to Eton. The school may be the antithesis of a hotbed of socialist revolution and deserves no credit for the fact Orwell was brighter than the rest and had a conscience.

[@jantelopez5626]

@@CompelledUsername rich people today (old and new money) are not the intelligentia.. they lack intellectual and creative curiosity, they perpetuate privilege , stifle innovation and lower the quality of ideas that get funded. our economic systems seem to revolve around protecting their capital without them contributing anything remarkable in terms of skills and ideas .. everything costs more because everyone has to entertain the whims of rich people's mediocre ideas about work, money, industry, science and culture

[@dougspray7160]

@@CompelledUsername Think about it the majority were elitist and with their illusory - Effortless Superiority - ruled Britain, and still have an enormous influence, with most of them having little understanding of the economic problems etc of how most of their fellow citizens live. Slums produced great reformers but also fervent supporters of the status quo. Virtually all revolutions start with the educated, the ones at the bottom have no ability to organize opposition to outrageous living and working conditions. Sadly the products of these expensive schools with their slant on history about the Empire produced so few men of good will and compassion.

[@olabanjoko4459]

Rory for prime minister anytime. Please come back

[@margaretbloomer9001]

I'm certainly no Tory, but Mr. Stewart has a brain and seems to have integrity.

[@beammeup8458]

Stop talking .... please ! Very long intro when you adnitted that you did not know what you were talkng about (Rory's career) gave us great confidence. Such an interesting guy .... but I gave up on the chatter ...

[@mindcache5650]

Taiwan. British. Ashamed of the UK. Politicians do not make good leaders, or the Eton-Oxford oligopoly. Times call for a leader with military leadership training .I like visiting the UK but sadly, I could never live there again. The transportation sucks, the rail and M25 are worse than in 1999 and extremely expensive. I wanted to visit a University friend in Aberdeen. The return rail ticket cost was quoted as £ 273 . That’s just silly. Too many at the top receiving taxpayer subsidies, then paying themselves creamed- off bonuses. Greed and no social justice. My son , just graduated with a 1st and his initial job pays the same as I earned in the City in 1984 yet costs of living have quadrupled. The UK is broken. Europe is not the answer as it has a debt burden of €600 billions. Besides the UK only had a product surplus twice in the last 20 years with it.

[@danremenyi1179]

If wishes were horses beggars would fly ................... A great analysis of the situation. But what can we do?

[@nicholamotley1330]

He’s named so clearly the underlying trauma in our politicians… their aggression and lack of true vision or compassion… lower brain functioning. We so need people who have done a lot of personal healing and growth at the helm!

[@JelMain]

You can heal the trauma, but not the hurt.

[@200Strat]

Rory, talk to Rishi and Liz, get reinstated to the party, remember you are a Conservative.

[@opticnerve8927]

I wonder if Rory has seen the poem about the SCOTCH approved by Boris the clown Johnson when he was editor of the spectator in 2004 this poem is scandalous and so racial it's beyond belief 😭

[@martincheeseman5809]

I cant agree more, but Boris was brilliant at lying, to the country!

[@maggieharris3721]

If only he would come back-- to fair and honest!!

[@user-nx6ji9tk8i]

Does our host intentionally rule out NI in her references to Gt Britain?? Such few views. Why are intelligent commentators so often ignored?

[@DickusCopernicus]

It may seem strange, butI think that Plato's dialog 'Gorgias' should be compulsory reading in school. From 23 centuries ago it covers the issue of the dangers oratory over substance. It would provide some protection for the individual from easy persuasion, in what St Paul described as, 'saving men's souls by the foolishness of preaching'.

[@hankpowell8288]

Who is the interviewer here? Her background and journalistic interests. Does she host other How To podcasts?

[@videomillsy]

Cometh the hour, cometh the man?

[@jamesburke2094]

It was very reminiscent of events when he mentioned the meaninglessness of job interviews, reminds me of the lying staff at Logicor who go undisciplined, the kinds of characters you can find scattered all over the place and which partly explains the motivation for the current "raison d'etre" of the political right (which has gone over Mr Stewart's head), namely to minimize the damage being caused to society by the incessant growth of the public sector and its control, which represents a great and naturally dispensable cost to the taxpayer and economy one can add. It's well worth pointing out that the fiascos for which Boris is blamed were initiated by the cretins in and around Downing st and the Civil Service, Helen MacNamara etc. It's unfashionable to identify the real culprit, when she is not a competent male caucasian, the standard target of contemporary baseless attacks. The attacks on the veracity of BJ's statements would make you imagine that we experience the opposite of the reality, that we're not surrounded by organizations all over the place lying to spoil the standards of others' living and working experiences, out of spite. The hypocrisy and stupidity of accusations against BJ regarding the veracity of his statements, motivated by him not towing fashionable lines and not being under the control of the lying left, "justice system" and corporations, knows no bounds. If BJ, or any politician, is doing their utmost to reduce the senseless unnecessarily huge public sector, then that's the only thing which will reduce adversity being experienced today in the West, and the only thing which matters.

[@terrywinn9431]

l got fed up with this after 30seconds

[@tim16577]

Always felt he was a true internationalist, cared more for Arab nations than his own...not surprising he's working for NGOs abroad now. BBC would love him

[@kernowpolski]

Rory Stewart is an establishment legend in his own mind and now co-hosts with Alaistair Campbell of Dodgy Dossier and illegal war fame. With all his alleged expertise, poor Rory achieved only failure in Iraq and Afghanistan. Failure heaped upon failure - a post British imperial throwback.I am sure he is a nice man, but the lack of self-awareness remind me of...Boris Johnson!

[@verystripeyzebra]

To be fair not sure anyone could have delivered anything but failure in Iraq or Afghanistan.

[@kernowpolski]

@@verystripeyzebra Except dear old Rory claims his interventions were triumphs! He is an immensely delusional product of privilege.

[@mogznwaz]

Rory Stewart’s contempt for democracy will always be a better gauge of his character than anything else

[@NuVisionabroad]

A lot of politics is just talk and no action. I have even read some of the transcripts of some of the Government Working Groups when they summon loads of incredibly brilliant experienced businessmen and professionals to give advice on many key challenges in society then nothing bloody happens ! Such a waste of time 😠

[@highdownmartin]

Thanks rory,for having the balls of steel to stand up to the blondeclown , and call out his government and vote against him. Oh wait….. Yes you’re just another Tory aren’t you rory?

[@yasminanjum3310]

*** PLEASE NOTE *** Just so listeners are aware this was recorded on 24th May 2022 which was several weeks before the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he would resign. ***

[@timpullen4941]

Boris didn't do the decent thing and resign, he was kicked out.

[@mrboneill6882]

The Tories missed a trick there with Rory. Tacking to the right might appeal to the base, but with a base alone, a party cannot win; just look at Corbyn.

[@wormsnake1]

This man would make a great prime minister. Are the Tory party blind? I think Labour will win the next general election, there’s no question in my mind about that. Its probably best that he misses out this time. However I think looking forward they should seriously consider this man for “the next leader” of the Conservative party.x

[@huwzebediahthomas9193]

Nice door.

[@harlsmusic]

Where can I access part 2?

[@daen7892]

Very interesting man too bad the interviewer was mediocre

[@donaldmackinnon4621]

get the cheese out gromet.

[@guitarschoolnorthampton1870]

The only candidate for Tory leadership who wouldn’t have made a complete pigs ear of running the country!

[@balventray]

Got it in one , Boris & Co voted in by zombies

[@JustMe-bx8gu]

Hi, can you let Rory know that if he needs any help happy to get in touch and see if my skills are useful.

[@JelMain]

Hi, Rory, Dana's chum here.

[@williambriggs79]

Funny that he didn’t say that when he was serving in Johnson’s government.

[@belindamay8063]

@William Briggs. It’s because these people have their own kind of logic. They all seem to understand it. But it baffles the rest of us. ‘Yesterday” doesn’t seem to mean anything very much.

[@splendidindifference]

Not surprising really considering that he never served in the Johnson government! He resigned when Johnson became leader.

[@verystripeyzebra]

@@splendidindifference he did serve under loser Johnson. He was given some brief for Africa despite being a middle east expert. He had the whip withdrawn for rebelling in some vote or other.

[@williambriggs79]

@@splendidindifference I just checked . You’re right. My bad.

[@soapytowel1565]

I have never voted Tory & probably never will, but I like what Rory Stewart has to say about slogans etc. and the fact that he is repeating what my wife always tells me, that is “be a doer, not a sayer”. For me this is the crux of the problem in British politics there are far too many sayers & very few doers, in any of the political parties.

[@VerticalBlank]

Far too much intro waffling. Skip to 3:16.

[@adrianshaw7293]

..but he's aligned to the wrong party, surely. How does he not realise that the Tories hold all the power and have no intention to do anything to help ordinary people, whereas the other parties have far more intention to do so but no power?

[@bernardh9994]

Come and visit me here in Germany. I think things do work better here. Certainly far from perfect, but there a lot more consensus .. A result of proportional representation where talking over political borders is the norm..

[@edpistemic]

The post-war passion for consensus in Germany is truly admirable. I have great respect for our German cousins. A version of the the German MMPR voting system would be a great improvement over the antiquated FPTP we have here.

[@heathermarsh8757]

I like him ,even if he is an ex Tory ..but very switched on about the disgrace that is social care ..

[@davidcarr2216]

If Boozo weren't a journalist or politician, he'd be one of those guys who con single, middle-aged women out of their life savings. In the words of Jertemy Clarkson, Just pay for dinner darling while I go and warm up the Jaaag.

[@johnwright9372]

Vicious personal attacks are part of politics, but is my perception correct that negative smears are much more a central election tactic of the Conservative Party? It is certainly true of the Republicans in the USA.

[@elkpaz560]

You are only revealing your bias. The so-called liberal left have shown themselves indifferent to fact when in politics - Hunter Biden's laptop or Hilary Clinton's cultivation of the Trump- Russia thing are 2 cases in point.

[@shanisheppard9305]

If only we could have Frost as PM the only other person I like is Steve baker

[@johnwright9372]

Lord help us with voters like you whose ignorance is central to the political malaise in the UK.

[@TesterAnimal1]

Two of the thickest short planks in the country.

[@JelloTypeR]

Have you recently received a blow to the head? Frost or Baker would be catastrophic for the country, from the frying pan into the unflushed toilet. Edit- Baker has pulled out, a little over 24 hrs since he threw his hat in the ring.

[@TheAthertonian]

He would fit in very well to a Starmer Labour Party?

[@millhilljimjimmy6731]

This bloke is a hasbeen moe on

[@explorer0213]

No rory boris is no monster the way he's been the leader of the world leaders and rallied for ukraine tells us this.!!!

[@steverichmond7142]

Boris Johnson could POSSIBLY run a BATH.

[@runandraisans6055]

People knew about Johnson and his past history

[@ParcelOfRogue]

Rory should leave the Tories and join the LibDems