62. Rory Stewart on a love for risk, a battle with bitterness … and why a political comeback is on the cards

Our guest for this episode is Rory Stewart - the former diplomat and politician turned podcasting rock star. In a conversation that I hope you agree is compelling and useful, Rory talks about his greatest failures, traumas, his approach to risk and why a political comeback is on the cards. A proud Scot, Rory was born in Hong Kong and brought up in Malaysia. After Eton, he went on to Oxford and the diplomatic service but took a sabbatical to spend 20 months walking across countries including Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. A journey of self-discovery and frequent life-threatening dangers.

After working as the Governor of an Iraqi province, Rory entered British politics as a Conservative MP – holding ministerial positions before making a bid to become Prime Minister. When Boris Johnson won the election in 2019, Rory resigned and threw his hat into the ring to become the new London mayor. After that contest was delayed by COVID, bruised and battered by the experience, he left politics and indeed later left the country.

Rory talks about the influence of his beloved father Brian – a remarkable man who was D-Day hero and decorated spy. Rory reveals how, in 2015, he tried in vain to resuscitate his father who collapsed and died in his arms. It is a truly moving account not only of that terrible moment but also of the incredible bond that he shared with his dad.

Rory now teaches international relations and politics at Yale University, runs a brilliant charity from his home in Jordan, all whilst co-hosting with Alastair Campbell the podcasting sensation that is The Rest is Politics.

An episode packed with emotion, honesty and reflections on crisis that are as fascinating as they are helpful. I hope you enjoy it.

Full episode transcript available at: https://www.crisiswhatcrisis.com/podcasts/rory-stewart-on-a-love-for-risk-a-battle-with-bitterness-and-why-a-political-comeback-is-on-the-cards/

Rory’s Crisis Comforts:

1. Meditation. I've done eleven-day silent retreats, which have been very important to me. And so in periods of extreme stress, I find deep meditation. An hour or two of meditation is very powerful.

2. Childlike films or books on tape. I've been listening at the moment to the Hornblower series. When I'm a bit stressed, I put it on and it puts me back into a happy place of being a kind of 15-year-old in the 1950s.

3. Animals. That relationship with your dog or a cat – learning from their virtues, I think is hugely important.

Links:

Pre-order Rory’s upcoming book – Politics On the Edge - https://amzn.to/3mtPbdQ

Rory’s website - https://www.rorystewart.co.uk/

Follow Rory on Twitter - https://twitter.com/RoryStewartUK

Turquoise Mountain Foundation - https://www.turquoisemountain.org/

The Places In Between - https://amzn.to/3UzAiDf

Occupational Hazards - https://amzn.to/3KBDnhO

The Marches - https://amzn.to/3ZZPkDH

Can Intervention Work? - https://amzn.to/3zWhLYu

Stream/Buy ‘Allies’ by Some Velvet Morning: https://ampl.ink/qp6bm

Some Velvet Morning Website: www.somevelvetmorning.co.uk

Your Daily Practice: Sleep by Myndstream: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OX9XgJufFz9g63o2Dv2i5?si=b2f9397c92084682

Host – Andy Coulson

CWC production team: Louise Difford, Ed Isaacs, Jane Sankey, Linus Difford

With special thanks to Global