Podlitical

WhatsApp communications during the pandemic cause trouble in Holyrood and Westminster. As the UK Covid Inquiry continues, some of the submitted messages between Government officials paint a revealing (and sometimes expletive-laden) picture of decision making during the pandemic. Meanwhile in Holyrood, senior figures in the Scottish Government have been accused of deleting messages requested by the...

The SNP MP for Glasgow East on moving the dial on Scottish independence and more. The team quiz David Linden MP on the SNP's independence plans, why he thinks the conversation around process has been overplayed, and what he makes of the SNP's current strategy. The team ask him about Lisa Cameron's defection to the Conservatives, and why he thinks the council tax freeze announcement at the SNP conf...

The team sit down with Shadow Scottish Secretary Ian Murray MP to discuss how he sees the current relationship between Westminster and Holyrood, and what a potential future Labour government would do differently. The MP for Edinburgh South shares his thoughts on Michael Shanks' Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election win and how Anas Sarwar is doing as Scottish Labour leader, the independence mov...

The team check in on how the SNP, Labour, and Tories are doing post-conference. With three of the party conferences done, and a handful of by-election results being keenly analysed, what can be said about the positions of these three parties as they gear up to fight in the next general election? A year is a long time in politics, and as both the by-elections and the unfolding crisis in Israel and...

The team discuss the SNP conference, from a council tax freeze to the FM's speech. The team talk through First Minister Humza Yousaf's announced Scottish council tax freeze and the reaction from councils, as well as the SNP's new independence strategy, and the appearance of a certain former First Minister. Following the defeat in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election and the defection of MP...

The MSP on becoming an "accidental Green" and how she changed her mind on independence. Gillian Mackay of the Scottish Greens sits down with Lucy and Phil to chat about how she became a politician, what it's like navigating Holyrood as a new MSP, her thoughts on the Bute House agreement with the SNP, and how she moved from being a "No" voter to a supporter of Scottish Independence. For a range of...

Labour celebrates victory in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election, with leader Keir Starmer claiming the party "blew the doors off" as candidate Michael Shanks oversaw a landslide win over the SNP. The team gather to discuss the mood on the ground in Rutherglen and Hamilton West, what this might tell us about the next General Election (and what it doesn't), and where this leaves First Mini...

With HS2's future unclear, conversation at the Tory conference gets railroaded. The team discuss the rumours and speculation swirling at the Conservative party conference in Manchester, with both delegates and opposition seeking clarity on what Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will announce regarding the Birmingham to Manchester leg of HS2. What would the cancellation mean for Scotland, and has the spec...

The controversial Rosebank offshore oil development gets the go ahead. Just a week after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak changed up his Government's climate targets, regulators have approved a new offshore development off the coast of Shetland. Supporters say it's essential to the green transition and will create jobs, but critics say it's just another blow in the fight against climate change. BBC Scot...

The SNP MP on how her health issues colour her work, and why Westminster can be "toxic". After suffering a brain haemorrhage during the Covid pandemic in 2020, Amy Callaghan returned to Parliament in 2021, and became the SNP's Westminster health spokesperson. Phil Sim sits down with the MP and talks about the chaotic few years in both her personal and political life, the challenges of being a youn...

What does the Prime Minister's shakeup of green commitments mean for Scotland? Following a leak to the BBC, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced a shift in net zero greenhouse gas emission targets, pushing the timeline to replace fossil fuel burning cars and boilers further back. While Sunak claims he's still committed to reaching net zero by 2050, First Minister Humza Yousaf has said it would...

The Deputy Leader of the Scottish Conservatives on her career, motherhood, and GRR. Lucy Whyte and Georgia Roberts sit down with Meghan Gallacher MSP, and discuss her beginnings in North Lanarkshire, how she developed conservative beliefs, and her rise to become deputy leader of the Scottish Conservative party. The team discuss Gender Recognition Reform and the late night vote last year, as well a...

A drug room pilot gets the go ahead, and Labour's Starmer promises to "smash the gangs". The team discuss the week's top political news, including the UK Government saying it won't block plans for a drug consumption room pilot in Scotland, in an attempt to reduce drug deaths. In Westminster, Prime Minister Sunak faces problems with UK-China relations after alleged spying claims emerged, while oppo...

The former First Minister on his chats with Humza Yousaf, and how politics became "petty". The team sit down with Lord Jack McConnell, the Labour First Minister for Scotland from 2001 - 2007, where he reflects on his time in power and the state of political discourse today. Lord McConnell talks about how he sees parties lose touch with voters, how politics moved from class-based to identity-based...

From crumbly concrete to conferences, Holyrood and Westminster are back from recess, but did politics ever really go away? As parties gear up for by-elections including the potential bellwether seat of Rutherglen and Hamilton West, and conference season approaches, the team discuss the events over the summer and what comes next. What do the next few months have in store for Holyrood and Westminste...

Why and how are constituency boundaries drawn, and why do they change? Join Phil Sim for a deep dive into the review of Westminster and Holyrood boundaries with Professor Ailsa Henderson, Chair of Boundaries Scotland, and Allan Faulds of Ballot Box Scotland. They discuss the detail and feedback that goes into making decisions, the misconceptions around boundary changes, how the changes work, and h...

Parties gear up for a by-election as MP Margaret Ferrier loses her seat. The constituents for Rutherglen and Hamilton West have voted to remove Ferrier from office, where she has sat as an independent MP after being kicked out of the SNP in 2020 for breaching Covid travel rules. Following a 30 day suspension from the commons, the recall petition to remove her was signed by almost 15% of the eligib...

The team discuss the drama and political ramifications of three by-elections. Keir Mather may have become the youngest MP in the House of Commons, but what do the mixed results mean for Labour's other Keir? And, what key messages can the Tories take away from the results, as they head towards a general election? The panel discuss the importance of local issues, the national picture and, of course,...

As Holyrood stands for summer recess, parties appear to be gearing up not slowing down. The team looks back on the last Parliamentary period, which saw two Monarchs, two First Ministers, and three Prime Ministers, and discuss why it seems that the parties in Scottish Parliament are already on election footing ahead of the next General Election, despite it potentially being over a year away. In wha...

The team look ahead to the SNP's "Convention on Independence" in Dundee. With First Minister Humza Yousaf due to open the convention with a speech, what will we learn about the SNP's preferred Scottish independence strategy going forward? The team chats through some of the options that may be on the table for the membership, as well as what strategies they might employ to raise support. From defac...

It's been a tough week to be a former political party leader. Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson has resigned as an MP ahead of a damning report by the Privileges Committee, where MPs found he had deliberately misled parliament and the committee over pandemic rules breaches. Johnson says the report is a "political assassination". Meanwhile in Holyrood, and former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon wa...

Having announced he's standing down at the next election, what's next for Ian Blackford? The SNP MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber since 2015, Ian Blackford joins the team to discuss his time as an MP and SNP Westminster leader, as well as his current role as the party's independence business ambassador and what the future holds for him. Blackford talks about the Deposit Return Scheme, Margaret Ferri...

The former Scottish Labour leader candidly surveys the political landscape from the sidelines. Kezia Dugdale discusses Labour leaders past and present, and the challenge of moving politics in Scotland past the constitutional debate. She gives her verdict on controversial recent adverts from Labour, and the "lads, lads, lads" culture that exists. The former politician also has a revealing assessmen...

Speculation around a potential by-election is heating up. Will it be a contest in Rutherglen and Hamilton? Is it ok to say we're missing election fever? We look ahead to the next General Election and where the parties might be concentrating their efforts. The team is joined by polling expert Mark Diffley to give trending insights, polling analysis and informed speculation on the elections ahead.

How does the Scottish independence movement compare to those in other countries? Where do independence campaigns share similarities, and where do they differ? The team is joined by journalist Guy Hedgecoe in Madrid, and Will Hayward, Welsh Affairs Editor for WalesOnline, to compare and contrast the Catalan and Welsh independence movements with Scotland, and get a sense of the political and public...