Podlitical

Do coalition governments work for the parties involved, and do they benefit the voters? As talk of potential future coalitions with Labour continue in Westminster after their local election gains, Lucy is joined by political editor Glenn Campbell and political correspondent Kirsten Campbell to look at Scottish and Westminster coalitions and power sharing agreements. Have coalitions, both past and...

Ahead of the Coronation of Charles III, the team looks at UK attitudes to the monarchy. Lucy and Phil are joined by Professor Ailsa Henderson of the University of Edinburgh, to look at how Scotland and the wider UK feel about King Charles and the monarchy. How do people's views vary by area, party, and constitutional belief, and how have opinions changed since the death of Queen Elizabeth?

First Minister Humza Yousaf meets Prime Minister Rishi Sunak amidst continued SNP turmoil. The team discuss the talks between the new First Minister and the Prime Minister, including the cost of living crisis and devolution. The difficult start to Yousaf's premiership looks set to continue, with former FM Nicola Sturgeon saying the SNP crisis is her 'worst nightmare'. This week saw former SNP West...

The team catch up post-recess, following the arrests of Peter Murrell and Colin Beattie. Both the former SNP chief executive Murrell and the now former treasurer Beattie were released without charge, in an ongoing investigation into the SNP's finances, which Police Scotland launched in July 2021 under "Operation Branchform" after receiving complaints about how donations were used by the party. Mea...

The team discuss Humza Yousaf's first days as SNP leader and First Minister of Scotland. After being elected First Minister in Scottish Parliament on Wednesday, Yousaf has revealed his cabinet, and tackled a tricky FMQs disrupted by climate protesters. What do his picks for cabinet tell us about his plans for Scotland, how did he perform in his first days in the top job in Scottish politics, and w...

Humza Yousaf wins the SNP leadership contest, so what next for the party? The team react to the result of the SNP leadership contest, which saw Health Secretary Humza Yousaf beat out Kate Forbes in the second round of voting, after Ash Regan was eliminated in the first round, pipping her to the post with 52.1% of the votes versus Forbes' 47.9%. As the Bute House Agreement with the Scottish Greens...

Nicola Sturgeon faces a fiery final FMQs, and Boris Johnson is grilled by MPs. The team discuss the final FMQs for the First Minister, the 'robust' questioning she faced by opposition parties, and her last statement to Scottish Parliament as First Minister. In Westminster, Boris Johnson faced some robust questioning too, as MPs on the Commons privileges committee hear evidence to decide if the for...

SNP media chief Murray Foote and chief executive Peter Murrell resign over membership row. The team react to the news that happened over the weekend, and explore how a row over membership figures snowballed into these two major resignations for the party. What does it mean for the three candidates vying to be the next leader of the SNP, and for the party itself?

The SNP has a row over membership and Chancellor Hunt presents his Budget. After initially refusing to release figures, the SNP has confirmed its membership has fallen to just over 72,000. The team discuss why the row over membership transparency started and what impact it might have on the party going forward during the leadership campaigns to be the next First Minister. In Westminster, Chancello...

The team discuss the SNP leadership debate and PM Sunak's small boats bill. During the televised SNP debate on Tuesday, the barbs became personal between the three candidates vying to be the next First Minister, as Kate Forbes launched an attack on Humza Yousaf's record in government, while the health secretary returned pointed comments about protecting equal rights, and Ash Regan wrote off her co...

What's the shape of the SNP leadership race after the first hustings in Cumbernauld? The team talk about the first of the SNP leadership debates, what we learnt about the candidates' pitches to be the next First Minister of Scotland, and the row over media access. The Deposit Return Scheme is also causing headaches for the current First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, and the minister responsible Lorna...

Who are the candidates who hope to be the next SNP leader and First Minister of Scotland? The team discuss the leadership bids of Kate Forbes, Humza Yousaf, and Ash Regan, and what we know so far about their vision for the future of Scotland, whether it's on independence, the NHS, or social issues such as trans rights. The first week since Nicola Sturgeon announced her resignation has seen Forbes...

Nicola Sturgeon has announced she is standing down after eight years as First Minister. The team react to the bombshell news which has sent shockwaves across Scottish politics. As the First Minister says she will stay on until a successor is chosen, she claims that the time is right for her to leave the top of Scottish politics. The team discuss why she's chosen to go now, what happens next, what...

Does the narrative of leaders in Holyrood and Westminster under pressure match reality? This week, Phil Sim hosts Podlitical and gets down to brass tacks with the team to ask, despite pressures faced by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, if their positions really are under threat? The team discuss the big issues in UK politics this week, from council budgets and cabinet...

Tensions between the Scottish Government and councils continue as the budget is debated. The Scottish government says it has given councils an extra £570m for local services in its December budget, but local authorities are concerned that economic pressures will hit vital services like social care and education, and ring-fenced funds may lead to cuts in areas such as bin collections. Economist Dav...

From a trans prisoner row to tax troubles, it's been another busy week in politics. In Holyrood, just as the dust settles from the hotly debated Gender Recognition Reform bill, a new row over a transgender rapist has broken out, and tensions grow between the Scottish Government and councils over funding for teachers. Meanwhile in Westminster, legacy crises from the Boris Johnson era put pressure o...

Podlitical takes an in-depth look at the impact of delays in the Scottish Courts. A huge backlog of cases has left some of the most vulnerable women in Scotland waiting to have domestic and sexual abuse cases heard. We hear directly from those affected, those working on the frontline of the problem and we consider some of the solutions. If you've been affected by any of the issues raised in this p...

What is a Section 35 order, and why has it sparked a row about devolution and democracy? The UK Government has triggered Section 35 of The Scotland Act to formally block the Scottish Government's Gender Recognition Reform legislation from reaching royal assent. As First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says the row will "inevitably" end up in court, Professor Nicola McEwen from the Centre on Constitutiona...

An NHS in crisis and ongoing strikes spell trouble for the Scottish and UK Governments. The team discuss why the political temperature is still high heading into 2023 after the parliamentary recesses, and why it's not looking like it will calm down any time soon. As Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon are set to meet in Scotland with the backdrop of strikes, NHS pressures...

After several days of intense debate, the Gender Recognition Reform bill passes. From the early mornings to the late nights, the team discuss this week in Scottish Parliament, as MSPs debated and voted on amendments to the Gender Recognition Reform Bill into the early hours, enabling the Scottish Government to get the legislation passed before the Christmas recess. As this week saw protests outsid...

What does the Scottish Government's budget mean for taxes, welfare, and independence? The team are joined by Emma Congreve from the Fraser of Allander Institute of the University of Strathclyde to take a deep dive into acting finance secretary John Swinney's budget. As tax divergence grows between Scotland and the rest of the UK, has this so-called 'left leaning' budget served to further highlight...

Internal tensions continue as Stephen Flynn takes over as SNP Westminster group leader, with senior figure Pete Wishart resigning from the front bench, saying he was "bemused" as to why Flynn had sought to replace Ian Blackford in the role. Ex-PM Gordon Brown also revealed a package of proposed political reforms, claiming the Labour plan would make the UK work for Scotland, but the SNP described t...

Ian Blackford has announced he will stand down as leader of the SNP Westminster group, but why now, and what does this tell us about divisions within the SNP? The team discuss the news, who might take over, as well as the thorny issues in PMQs and FMQs from housing stock to a National Care Service. Are party leaders placing policy 'tanks on lawns' ahead of the next General Election, and what does...

What's next for the pro-independence movement after the Supreme Court ruling? Judges at the Supreme Court have ruled that the Scottish government cannot hold an independence referendum without the UK government's consent. The team discusses the implications of the ruling for the Scottish and Westminster Governments, what 'war-gaming' is happening, and how using the next general election as a 'de f...

Chancellor Hunt lays out tax rises and spending cuts to try to fill the budget black hole, from freezing income tax thresholds to cutting back help with energy bills. In his first Autumn Statement, the Chancellor acknowledged the UK was in a recession, and announced support for the most vulnerable, including rises in line with inflation of the state pension, benefits, and tax credits. Alongside ot...