The best politics podcasts

Katy Kay, Alastair Campbell, Rory Stewart and Anthony Scaramucci

Former Blairite spin doctor Alastair Campbell and ex-Conservative minister 'awkward nerd' Rory Stewart with their colleagues Katy Kay and Anthony Scaramucci from The Rest is Politics US

(Image credit: Ernesto Rogata / Alamy Stock Photo)

By The Week UK

last updated 16 May 2025

They say the news never stops, but in 2025 it's been travelling at breakneck speed. From Kashmir to the Vatican, these top politics podcasts make sense of the maelstrom with informative analysis and debate by experts in the field.

Newscast

Newscast is a "show that knows what it is and who it's for", said Miranda Sawyer in The Observer. The daily news podcast from the BBC is aimed at anyone who wants to "dive into the day's big stories". "Everyone on the show has the advantage of actually still being involved in the areas they're talking about," and there's plenty of journalistic clout to go round. Presented by the BBC's former chief political correspondent, Adam Fleming, and political editor Chris Mason, with other heavy-hitters pitching in, listeners are in expert hands. That's not to say it's a purely academic listen. Newscast's "briskness and jollity" combined with a strong community spirit keeps its audience, like the presenters, very much on the ball.

The Guardian's flagship podcast, "Today in Focus" is simply a "really great show for keeping up with world events big and small," said Andrzej Lukowski in Time Out. Hosts Helen Pidd and Michael Safi preside over an atmosphere "slightly less formal" than many traditional news podcasts, drawing on a wealth of experienced journalists who bring expert insights to each topic. True to its name, "Today in Focus" thoroughly explores a new story every day, tackling both under-the-radar issues and those which loom large in the headlines. The podcast is unique for avoiding the discussion-based format of its peers. Its "documentary sensibility," said Charlotte Tobitt of The Press Gazette, is very much deliberate. Many episodes move their audiences just as much as they inform.

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Helen Thompson (co-host of the "Talking Politics" podcast) has teamed up with UnHerd political editor Tom McTague for this informative podcast that delves into the history that has shaped today's politics. This is "proper wide-angle stuff" placing the latest events within long-term trends that go back centuries, said Josiah Gogarty in GQ. The hosts "both know their current affairs onions" but they also bring in knowledgeable guests to help listeners gain a better understanding of our "chaotic modern world".

Politico's "thought-provoking" weekly podcast takes listeners into the House of Commons to discover "what life is really like" for the people inside, said Vicky Jessop in London's The Standard. Delving into questions "you might not even have even thought to ask before", like what happens behind closed doors during mysterious COBRA meetings when a crisis hits the UK, this is one for "true political nerds". A "proper gem".

I'm a "sucker for a podcast with a gloomy, portentous title", said James Marriott in The Times. In 2023, the chief economics commentator and "chief Jeremiah" of the Financial Times, Martin Wolf, made a terrific series called "The Crisis of Democratic Capitalism". It was "doom on a grand canvas": very much my bag. Now, he is back with another intellectually inspiring, yet extremely unnerving, podcast called "Democracy's Year of Peril", in which he interviews leading political thinkers about the future of Western liberal democracy.

Tominey pointed out to The Telegraph that they fill a "gap in the market for something that hasn't been designed by a left-wing committee". They have rather different political persuasions, though, which was part of the appeal for Tominey, who aims for what she describes as "agreeable disagreement". The pair secured the first in-depth campaign trail interview with Rishi Sunak, asking about both his proposals for national service and his appreciation of "Star Wars".

Hosted by former Obama campaign director David Axelrod and Republican strategist Mike Murphy, "Hacks on Tap" is "the best podcast about American politics by miles, and one of my favourite podcasts about anything", said James Marriott in The Times. Listeners are invited to pull up a chair and "settle down to listen to these twinkly and avuncular old-timers thrash things out together". The mood is amiable yet it avoids the "airless consensus" that suffocates many of its rivals.

This thrice-weekly US politics podcast delves into the latest insights and analysis coming straight from the White House. Hosted by BBC's North America editor, Sarah Smith, BBC Radio 4 presenter, Justin Webb, the BBC's social media investigations correspondent, Marianna Spring, and BBC North America correspondent, Anthony Zurcher, "Americast" is a "one-stop shop for everything you could ever dream, wish and hope to know about American politics", said Naomi May in Elle. The real draw is the Q&A sessions where members of the public get the chance to put their questions to the knowledgeable hosts.