Presidents, Prime Ministers, Monarchs & Dictators

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Season One of ‘The Presidents & Prime Ministers brought to life all 55 of Britain's Prime Ministers through interviews with the authors of all 55 essays in Iain Dale’s book The Prime Ministers: Three Hundred Years of History. From the obscure 18th-century figures like the Earl of Shelburne and Henry Pelham to 20th-century titans like Churchill and Thatcher, these podcasts provide a much-needed reminder about their motivations, failures and achievements. Season Two, gives the same treatment to the 45 US Presidents from George Washington through to Joe Biden, with each episode featuring an interview with the author of the essay about a President in Iain Dale’s book ‘The Presidents’. Season Three contained interviews about the various and varied Irish Taoisigh, whilst the new Season 4 takes you through England and the UK's many Kings and Queens, as featured in Iain's book Kings and Queens: 1200 Years of English and British Monarchs. Season 5 looks at the life of 64 Dictators. Buy signed copies of ‘The Prime Ministers’, ‘The Presidents’ and 'Kings and Queens' & 'Dictators' at http://www.politicos.co.uk.

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229. Sir Keir Starmer – Labour (2024-)

Iain Dale talks to Patrick Maguire, chief political commentator for The Times about the life and career of the UK’s current prime minister.

Dec 22, 2025

33 min

228. Napoleon III – France (1852-70)

Iain Dale talks to Sir Robert Buckland about the French Emperor who failed to live up to the reputation of his namesake predecessor.

Dec 15, 2025

32 min

227. Liz Truss – 2022-22

I talk to Liz Truss’s biographer, James Heale, about Britain’s 56th and shortest serving prime minister.

Dec 8, 2025

27 min

226. Simon Harris – Ireland (2024-25)

In order to complete the Irish Taoiseach podcast series, Iain Dale talks to Irish Times Political Editor Pat Leahy about the 16th Irish Taoiseach, Simon Harris.

Dec 1, 2025

47 min

225. Bashar Al-Assad – Syria (2000-24)

Iain Dale talks to former Conservative MP Brooks Newmark about the rule of the Syrian dictator who eventually fled to exile in Moscow. Brooks met Assad on nine occasions.

Nov 24, 2025

36 min

224. Josef Stalin - Soviet Union (1924-53)

Iain Daie talks to Lewis Goodall about the life and brutal rule of the man who ruled the Soviet Union for close on three decades. Buy a signed copy of THE DICTATORS here https://www.politicos.co.uk/products/the-dictators-a-warning-from-history-edited-by-iain-dale-signe-copy-coming-in-2024Buy a signed copy of THE PRIME MINISTERS here https://www.politicos.co.uk/products/the-prime-ministers-edited-by-iain-dale-paperback-coming-on-august-26-2022-signed-copy Buy a signed copy of THE PRESIDENTS here https://www.politicos.co.uk/products/the-presidents-signed-by-iain-dale Buy a signed copy of KINGS & QUEENS here https://www.politicos.co.uk/products/kings-queens-signed-by-iain-dale-coming-in-novemer-2023 Buy a signed copy of THE TAOISEACH here https://www.politicos.co.uk/products/the-irish-taoiseach-ed-iain-dale-coming-31-october-2026

Nov 3, 2025

40 min

223. Hendrik Verwoerd - South Africa (1958-1966)

Iain Dale talks to Simon marks about the Father of apartheid in South Africa.

Oct 27, 2025

39 min

222. Napoleon Bonaparte – France (1799-1814, 1815)

Iain Dale talks to political historian Alex Puffette about the French Emperor who is one of the most famous dictators in world history.Buy a signed copy of THE DICTATORS here https://www.politicos.co.uk/products/the-dictators-a-warning-from-history-edited-by-iain-dale-signe-copy-coming-in-2024Buy a signed copy of THE PRIME MINISTERS here https://www.politicos.co.uk/products/the-prime-ministers-edited-by-iain-dale-paperback-coming-on-august-26-2022-signed-copy Buy a signed copy of THE PRESIDENTS here https://www.politicos.co.uk/products/the-presidents-signed-by-iain-dale Buy a signed copy of KINGS & QUEENS here https://www.politicos.co.uk/products/kings-queens-signed-by-iain-dale-coming-in-novemer-2023 Buy a signed copy of THE TAOISEACH here https://www.politicos.co.uk/products/the-irish-taoiseach-ed-iain-dale-coming-31-october-2026 

Oct 20, 2025

38 min

221. Isaias Afwerki – Eritrea (1991-)

Iain Dale talks to Justin King about the Eritrean dictator Isaias Afwerki, who is now 79, but has clung to power for more than 30 years.

Sep 29, 2025

28 min

220. Saddam Hussein – Iraq (1979-2003)

Iain Dale talks to Nadhim Zahawi about the brutal rule of Saddam Hussein in Iraq. Nadhim spent the first 11 years of his life living under Saddam before his family left Iraq for the UK Buy a signed copy of THE DICTATORS here https://www.politicos.co.uk/products/the-dictators-a-warning-from-history-edited-by-iain-dale-signe-copy-coming-in-2024Buy a signed copy of THE PRIME MINISTERS here https://www.politicos.co.uk/products/the-prime-ministers-edited-by-iain-dale-paperback-coming-on-august-26-2022-signed-copy Buy a signed copy of THE PRESIDENTS here https://www.politicos.co.uk/products/the-presidents-signed-by-iain-dale Buy a signed copy of KINGS & QUEENS here https://www.politicos.co.uk/products/kings-queens-signed-by-iain-dale-coming-in-novemer-2023 Buy a signed copy of THE TAOISEACH here https://www.politicos.co.uk/products/the-irish-taoiseach-ed-iain-dale-coming-31-october-2026 

Sep 24, 2025

44 min