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Hello, welcome to the RESTISPOLITICS with me, Alistair Campbell, and me, Rory Stewart.

And Rory, before we get on with the podcast today, a little bit of news for our listeners about, and don't get too excited people,

it's not going to be any day soon, our next two live shows.

Penn's ready, Wednesday, September 13, we will be in Edinburgh, RESTISPOLITICS live at the Usher Hall, and the following day, Thursday, September 14, we will be in Bath, or I expect Bath, as Rory would call it, at the forum.

And Rory, by an amazing coincidence, these are going to coincide with the launch of a book, Politics on the Edge.

Politics on the Edge, thank you very much for remembering that, and I'm really excited to see people in Bath and Edinburgh, and tiny plug for me again, which is anybody in the Manchester area wants to come along.

I'm doing a solo thing on 2nd September in the Lowry, and I will be doing sterling work signing, but I believe Alistair will also be prepared to be signing a little bit, so there will be a double opportunity, the two of us sitting next to each other at the desks.

So, pre-sale tickets to these shows for members of the RESTISPOLITICS plus are on sale right now, if you want to take advantage of that opportunity to buy early tickets in this pre-sale, just sign up at the RESTISPOLITICS.com.

If you're someone who's really keen to secure tickets, this is worth doing, as the general sales often sell out literally under five minutes, so head to the RESTISPOLITICS.com to avoid disappointment.

And the general sale will still then open to the public Friday 16th June 9am. We'll tweet the ticket link from the RESTISPOLITICS Twitter account at RESTISPOLITICS, at exactly 9am on Friday. Now, Alistair, tell us where you are and what you've been up to.

I'm at home in a very summary shirt. I'm feeling quite virtuous and fit, having done the great North Swim in them, when the mayor up in your old part of the world.

Since when, Fiona and I have been going absolute, we've been in absolute culture vultures in recent days. We've been to the theatre three times, seen patriots at the Noel Cow Theatre, which is about Putin and Berazovsky's relationship, absolutely brilliant.

We've seen the motive in the queue, which is about John Gilgur directing Richard Burton in New York in Hamlet in 1964. Sounds very niche, but it is absolutely brilliant.

And last night, James Graham, who's a declaring interest, a good friend, probably the best player right in the country, I'd say at the moment.

And his new play, Deeringland at the National Theatre, which is about Gareth Southgate and penalties, and honestly Rory, even though you know less about football than anybody on the planet, you will really enjoy it. And I think anybody will enjoy it is just absolutely brilliant.

Oh, thank you. Well, my news, I'm in Amman. I'm about to fly to Doha this evening when I get off the phone with you. And Shashana has been in Syria and in Afghanistan.

And it's been fascinating. I mean, I think for the sense of Syria, just how tragic things are on the ground in Syria at the moment and how depressing.

And then in Afghanistan, oddly encouraging, she was visiting the primary school that we set up together 15 years ago and meeting female graduates who came back to speak at the school who've done degrees and chemistry and it's been really kind of moving.

So anyway, we promised at some point, maybe to see if we could get Fiona and Shashana on the show and we should try to do that.

Well, and also we promised that we'd give some good news every now and then and that sounds even in a pretty horrific set of circumstances.

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