Presidents, Prime Ministers, Monarchs & Dictators

Episodios

• 229. Sir Keir Starmer – Labour (2024-) 22.12.2025 33m

  Iain Dale talks to Patrick Maguire, chief political commentator for The Times about the life and career of the UK’s current prime minister.
• 228. Napoleon III – France (1852-70) 15.12.2025 32m

  Iain Dale talks to Sir Robert Buckland about the French Emperor who failed to live up to the reputation of his namesake predecessor.
• 227. Liz Truss – 2022-22 08.12.2025 27m

  I talk to Liz Truss’s biographer, James Heale, about Britain’s 56th and shortest serving prime minister.
• 226. Simon Harris – Ireland (2024-25) 01.12.2025 47m

  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.
• 225. Bashar Al-Assad – Syria (2000-24) 24.11.2025 36m

  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.
• 224. Josef Stalin - Soviet Union (1924-53) 03.11.2025 40m

  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
• 223. Hendrik Verwoerd - South Africa (1958-1966) 27.10.2025 39m

  Iain Dale talks to Simon marks about the Father of apartheid in South Africa.
• 222. Napoleon Bonaparte – France (1799-1814, 1815) 20.10.2025 38m

  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 
• 221. Isaias Afwerki – Eritrea (1991-) 29.09.2025 28m

  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.
• 220. Saddam Hussein – Iraq (1979-2003) 24.09.2025 44m

  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 
• 219. Genghis Khan – Mongolia (1206-1227) 08.09.2025 26m

  Iain Dale talks to historian Dominic Selwood about the Khan of the Mongol EmpireThe Dictators, edited by Iain Dale is published in hardback by Hoddr & Stoughton. Signed copies can be ordered here https://www.politicos.co.uk/products/margaret-thatcher-a-short-biography-signed-by-iain-dale-coming-5-june-2025
• 218. Lee Quan Yew – Singapore (1959-90) 01.09.2025 28m

  Iain Dale talks to historian Jack Brown about Singapore’s first prime minister.The Dictators, edited by Iain Dale is published in hardback by Hoddr & Stoughton. Signed copies can be ordered here https://www.politicos.co.uk/products/margaret-thatcher-a-short-biography-signed-by-iain-dale-coming-5-june-2025
• 217. Mohammed bin Salman – Saudi Arabia (2017-) 25.08.2025 31m

  Iain Dale talks to documentary maker and author Jonathan Rugman about the Saudi ruler.The Dictators, edited by Iain Dale is published in hardback by Hoddr & Stoughton. Signed copies can be ordered here https://www.politicos.co.uk/products/margaret-thatcher-a-short-biography-signed-by-iain-dale-coming-5-june-2025
• 216. Enver Hoxha – Albania (1941-85) 18.08.2025 38m

  Iain Dale talks to Julia Langdon about the rise and rule of a man who ruled Albania for more than four decades.The Dictators, edited by Iain Dale is published in hardback by Hoddr & Stoughton. Signed copies can be ordered here https://www.politicos.co.uk/products/margaret-thatcher-a-short-biography-signed-by-iain-dale-coming-5-june-2025
• 215. Benito Mussolini – Italy (1922-43) 11.08.2025 58m

  Iain Dale talks to Vanda Wilcox about the life and rule of the man who tried to properly unite Italy but ended up ruining it by his alliance with HitlerThe Dictators, edited by Iain Dale is published in hardback by Hoddr & Stoughton. Signed copies can be ordered here https://www.politicos.co.uk/products/margaret-thatcher-a-short-biography-signed-by-iain-dale-coming-5-june-2025
• 214. Walter Ulbricht – East Germany (1950-71) 04.08.2025 41m

  Iain Dale talks to historian Dr Robert Waller about the first leader of the German Democratic Republic, East Germany, whose iron rule lasted for 21 years.The Dictators, edited by Iain Dale is published in hardback by Hoddr & Stoughton. Signed copies can be ordered here https://www.politicos.co.uk/products/margaret-thatcher-a-short-biography-signed-by-iain-dale-coming-5-june-2025
• 213. Alexander the Great – Macedonia (346BC-323BC) 28.07.2025 30m

  Iain Dale talks to historian Matthew Binkowski about the man who conquered an empire stretching from Europe into South Asia.The Dictators, edited by Iain Dale is published in hardback by Hoddr & Stoughton. Signed copies can be ordered here https://www.politicos.co.uk/products/margaret-thatcher-a-short-biography-signed-by-iain-dale-coming-5-june-2025
• 212. Hugo Chavez – Venezuela (1999-2013) 21.07.2025 42m

  Iain Dale talks to former Guardian Latin American correspondent Rory Carroll about the Venezuelan dictator who brought his country to its knees.The Dictators, edited by Iain Dale is published in hardback by Hoddr & Stoughton. Signed copies can be ordered here https://www.politicos.co.uk/products/margaret-thatcher-a-short-biography-signed-by-iain-dale-coming-5-june-2025
• 211. Mao Zedong – China (1943-76) 14.07.2025 37m

  Iain Dale talks to china expert Jonathan Clements about the dictator that saw 70 million people die during his long ruleThe Dictators, edited by Iain Dale is published in hardback by Hoddr & Stoughton. Signed copies can be ordered here https://www.politicos.co.uk/products/margaret-thatcher-a-short-biography-signed-by-iain-dale-coming-5-june-2025
• 210. Joseph-Désiré Mobutu – Congo (later Zaire) (1971-97) 07.07.2025 32m

  Iain Dale talks to political journalist Harry Lambert about the life and rule of one of Africa’s most brutal dictators.