Holyrood Sources

On today's episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald and Geoff Aberdein are live on College Green at Westminster as they discuss what the future of London politics will mean for Scotland. The pair are joined by ITV Border political reporter Ollie Wright and Labour MP Torcuil Crichton and Conservative MP Harriet Cross to discuss where UK and Scottish politics is heading, just a couple of a weeks...

On today's episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald and Geoff Aberdein react to Andy Burnham's first major speech as presumptive Prime Minister. Will his plans to 'rewire Britain' and run some of the UK government from the new Number 10 North (of England), be beneficial or harmful to those living in Scotland? Will Andy Burnham be a Prime Minister for the whole of the UK and not just England? W...

Following the sentencing of former SNP Chief Executive Peter Murrell to over five years in prison, Calum, Geoff, and Andy sit down with The Scotsman’s Catriona Stewart to dissect the staggering evidence released by the Crown Office. From the infamous campervan to Nicola Sturgeon’s bookcase, we break down what this means for the future of the SNP. Later in the episode, we look at the rumblings of a...

The overnight by-election results are in, and Scottish politics has been turned completely on its head! In this bonus episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein, and Andy Maciver break down a seismic night that saw the Scottish Conservatives secure a historic victory in Aberdeen South—their first by-election win since 1973. The panel dives into how Douglas Lumsden and Kemi Badeno...

The Tartan Army takes over Boston, a knife-edge by-election battle in Aberdeen South, and a potential Labour coronation looming in Makerfield.  In this episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein, and Andy Maciver dive into a massive week of political drama across Scotland and the wider UK. Fresh off his travels to see Scotland play Haiti at the 2026 World Cup, Geoff gives an...

The Scottish Parliament is running, but is it actually getting anything done? In this episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein, and Andy Maciver dive into a massive week for Scottish politics. As Scottish Labour forces a vote on a parliamentary inquiry into Peter Murrell’s embezzlement from the SNP, First Minister John Swinney faces intense pressure over his handling of the sit...

On today's episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald and Andy Maciver record live from The Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh at the Scotland 2050 Conference. The conference brings together people from the world of business, politics and civic society to discuss Scotland's long term potential. Former First Minister Lord Jack McConnell, Scottish Lib-Dem Leader Alex Cole-Hamilton and Cabinet Secretary f...

On today's episode of the Holyrood Sources podcast Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein and Andy Maciver break down a bombshell week in Scottish politics. Peter Murrell has pleaded guilty to embezzlement from the SNP. What does this mean for the party, The First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon and trust in politics in general? John Swinney has also appointed his new Scottish Cabinet, was his new slimmed down...

On this special live episode of Holyrood Sources: Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein and Andy Maciver are joined by MSPs, journalists and backroom staff at the Edinburgh Gin Distillery, a stone's throw from The Scottish Parliament. They are joined by three brand new MSPs from the three biggest parties at Holyrood to discuss what the next five years could bring: Katherine Sangster from Scottish Labour...

On this special edition of Stormont Sources, Calum Macdonald and Andy Maciver from the Whitehall Sources and Holyrood Sources podcasts join David McCann, Tim Cairns and Michael McKernan to discuss how the results of the Welsh, Scottish and English elections will impact the UK as a whole and Northern Ireland. What will 3 nationalist First Ministers do for the state of the union... and is that stati...

On today’s episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein and Andy Maciver analyse the results of the 2026 Scottish Parliament election and what comes next for Scottish politics.  The Prime Minister and the First Minister are set to meet next month, will talks lead to a second independence referendum? Will Keir Starmer even be in office to meet John Swinney?  They also disc...

The votes are in, and the map of Scotland has been redrawn. Join the Holyrood Sources team for a deep-dive into the 2026 Scottish Parliament election results. In this special episode, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein (former Chief of Staff to the First Minister Alex Salmond), and Andy Maciver (former Scottish Conservative Director of Communications) break down a historic night at Holyrood. The Refo...

It's the day before the 2026 Scottish Parliament election! This episode of Holyrood Sources looks back at the campaign. Calum Macdonald is joined by Geoff Aberdein and Andy Maciver to analyse the latest polling trends, what’s really happening beneath the headline numbers, Is SNP support as solid as it seems? Why the list vote could be the real danger zone for the SNP The rise of Reform UK — protes...

Is Scotland facing a political stalemate? In this episode of Holyrood Sources , Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein, and Andy Maciver, with just ONE WEEK to go until polling day, explore the possible outcomes of the 2026 Scottish Parliament election. Is it certain that John Swinney will return to Bute House?, or could Anas Sarwar, even Malcolm Offord, relying on Reform’s hidden vote somehow seize powe...

The Holyrood Sources team is back to break down a week of political name-calling, tactical blunders, and Westminster turmoil. In this episode, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein (former Chief of Staff to the First Minister), and Andy Maciver (former Director of Communications for the Scottish Conservatives) dive into the "immature" state of the current election campaign. From Anas Sarwar and Graham S...

In this episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein, and Andy Maciver dive into the most heated moment of the campaign so far: the Channel 4 leaders' debate. We break down the explosive exchange between Scottish Labour’s Anas Sarwar and Reform UK’s Malcolm Offord , and ask if the alleged "backroom deal" has any basis in reality. In this episode: The Debate Fallout: Was the Sarwar-...

In this episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein, and Andy Maciver take you inside the 2026 Scottish Parliamentary election. We analyse the newest IPSOS Scottish Political Monitor results with Mark McGeoghegan, exploring why the Reform UK vote is the ultimate "spoiler" for Labour and the Conservatives. Calum, Geoff and Andy also reflect on Holyrood Sources: The Interviews, whic...

In this final installment of our Leaders Special, we sit down with the leader of Reform UK in Scotland, Malcolm Offord . As Reform surges in the polls, Offord addresses the "racist scaremongering" accusations from the Scottish Greens, explains why the party is targeting disillusioned voters, and outlines their plan to scrap Net Zero subsidies in favor of North Sea gas. In this episode, we discuss:...

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton joins Holyrood Sources: The Interviews in Edinburgh to tackle the "Ferry Fiasco," the NHS crisis, and the future of the Union. Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein and Andy Maciver discuss with him: The Caledonian MacBrayne ferry fiasco. Does Scottish politics have a central belt bias? What does it mean to be a Liberal Democrat today? Why he would res...

In this Holyrood Sources special, the team sit down with Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar ahead of the upcoming election. Sarwar outlines a "boldly different" vision for Scotland, addressing the growing crisis in the NHS, the decline in Scottish education, and the future of clean nuclear energy. He responds to tough questions on the Grangemouth refinery, the procurement of buses from China over...

Has Russell Findlay conceded defeat already? What can his party offer going into the election? In this special edition of 'The Interviews' from Holyrood Sources, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives Russell Findlay speaks to Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein and Andy Maciver in Edinburgh. "common-sense" vision for the 2026 election. From the rise of Reform UK to the 14-year legacy of the UK part...

In this episode, we sit down with Ross Greer, MSP and co-leader of the Scottish Greens, to discuss the party's future following their stint in government with the SNP. We dive deep into the heated debate surrounding North Sea oil and gas: Is it pragmatic to use our own hydrocarbons, or is opening new fields like Rosebank a "dead-end" for the planet? Greer challenges the capitalist model, argues fo...

Is John Swinney the right person to lead Scotland after May 7th? 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 In this special edition of 'The Interviews' from Holyrood Sources, First Minister John Swinney sits down with Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein, and Andy Maciver at an undisclosed location in Edinburgh. From the "logjam" of Scottish independence to the future of North Sea oil and gas (Jackdaw and Rosebank), no stone is left un...

On the final day of the parliamentary term, the Holyrood Sources team (Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein, and Andy Maciver) head outside the Scottish Parliament to capture the raw emotions of outgoing and campaigning MSPs. As Scotland prepares for the 2026 Scottish Parliament Election, we sit down with key figures from across the political spectrum to discuss the SNP’s record, the potential for a La...

Is Holyrood broken? On the final day of the parliamentary session, the Holyrood Sources team (Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein, and Andy Maciver) are LIVE from outside the Scottish Parliament. As 42 MSPs prepare to walk out of these doors for the last time, we speak to the politicians left standing. From the "Tory Trinity" to the SNP's internal shifts and the growing shadow of Reform UK, this episo...