In a remarkably candid and wide-ranging interview, former Conservative MP and popular podcast host Rory Stewart has opened up on topics ranging from his deepest fears and regrets to his views on modern politics and the figures shaping it.
From Political Life to Podcast Stardom
Rory Stewart, the 53-year-old former Secretary of State for International Development, has carved out a new career since leaving frontline politics. Born in Hong Kong and once the MP for Penrith and The Border, he is now best known as the co-host of the hit podcast The Rest Is Politics with Alastair Campbell.
His journey from government minister to independent London mayoral candidate and now to media personality forms the backdrop to his introspective answers. Stewart, also a prize-winning author of books like The Places in Between, did not hold back in sharing personal vulnerabilities and strong opinions.
Fears, Regrets, and a Dinosaur
When asked about his greatest fear, Stewart pointed not to political failure but to personal failing: "I become very anxious if I think I’ve hurt someone." He identified being "too thin-skinned" as the trait he most deplores in himself, while criticising "carelessness of truth and others" in other people.
The interview took a lighter turn with questions of fantasy. If he could bring an extinct creature back to life, Stewart chose the Deinocheirus mirificus, a bizarre 30-foot-long dinosaur with a sail, giant claws, and probable feathers. He amusingly described its movement as akin to Star Wars character Jar Jar Binks.
His dream of a different life was simpler: "If not myself, I’d like to be a monk."
Confronting the Modern World
Stewart saved some of his strongest criticism for the impact of wealth and technology on public discourse. He named the superpower he wishes he had as "indifference to social media abuse," citing the torrent of vitriol he receives on platform X, where he is regularly labelled a traitor, fraud, and worse.
He went further, explicitly criticising one of the world's most prominent tech billionaires. "I am profoundly shocked and troubled by the way that Musk has used his wealth, brains and fame to foster the most damaging and hateful politics," Stewart stated, offering a stark condemnation of Elon Musk's influence.
The former MP also revealed a recent significant change of mind, prompted by the US election, which "showed me that I had trapped myself in wishful thinking." This admission of fallibility aligns with what he called the most important lesson life has taught him: "That I am not wise."
From an embarrassing childhood judo incident to guiltily watching afternoon TV, Stewart's answers painted a picture of a complex figure navigating life after Westminster, seeking anonymity yet finding a new voice in the public sphere.
