L6th Form politics pupils attend an exclusive talk with The Rt Hon Rory Stewart OBE

June 16th 2026

The Politics Department was thrilled when it successfully secured tickets for the L6^th Form politics pupils to attend an exclusive talk with The Rt Hon Rory Stewart OBE. Rory is a former UK Cabinet Minister, diplomat, and bestselling author, with extensive experience across the Middle East, and as the MP for Penrith and the Border. Rory also served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Currently he is the Brady-Johnson Professor of the Practice of Grand Strategy at Yale University. His acclaimed books, including ‘Politics on the Edge’ and his latest, ‘Middleland: Dispatches from the Borders’, explore the complexities of governance, community, and identity. Moreover, Rory is known to millions as the co-host of hit podcast The Rest Is Politics which ranks as the #2 overall podcast in the UK.

The talk was hosted by Cumberland Lodge inside the OBE crypt chapel of St Paul’s Cathedral, London. Rory spoke on: ‘Is populism going to win?’ - a deeply relevant subject given the current state of geo-politics. Moreover, this topic directly ties into the content we study in relation to US & UK politics at A Level. Rory powerfully outlined how politics used to be defined in the pre-populist era. He then eloquently outlined what had brought about the rise in populism followed by his predictions for the future of populist politics and how young people can best engage with it. His points were insightful, erudite and entertaining.

At the end of the talk it was superb to hear Rory answer questions put forward by King’s pupils and to engage in some 1:1 conversations with them. We were honoured to have a photo with him too.

Rev’d George Beverly - Head of Politics