The Stooshie: the politics podcast from DC Thomson

While MPs debate small fixes to budgets, we look at the human cost of years of cuts and austerity. From hollowed out health services, to public sector strikes, the problems run deep. The team also looks at Unison’s targeted industrial action in Perthshire, as council staff look for elusive money.

In a special episode of The Stooshie, The Press and Journal's Adele Merson and The Courier's Alasdair Clark are joined by Perth MP Pete Wishart and former Scottish political editor Alan Roden to remember former first minister Alex Salmond after his sudden death on Saturday.   They discuss Alex Salmond's complex legacy and the difficult set of emotions many of his friends and former colleagues are...

From Scotland to Georgia, this week’s episode covers a lot of ground. We get to grips with Labour’s shaky start, Dundee election setbacks and winter fuel payment woes. We discuss our exclusive reporting on the human cost of long waits for breast cancer surgery and reconstruction in Grampian. And we speak to Arbroath and Broughty Ferry MP Stephen Gethins on why political unrest in Georgia, on the b...

Alistair Wilson was murdered on his doorstep 20 years ago. The case was raised with First Minister John Swinney in the Scottish Parliament last week. Crime reporter Bryan Rutherford describes why this case is now at boiling point, and why the government and chief constable need to find answers.

The parents of Linda Norgrove, the Scottish aid worker killed in Afghanistan in 2010, speak to the Stooshie about her life and legacy. John and Lorna described their daughter’s determined efforts to help women in the country, one month after 19 students were able to come to Scotland to continue their studies. They talk about Linda’s adventurous spirit, her commitment to supporting young women in A...

We look back at the pro-independence campaign in a two-part special featuring the leading figures from both sides. In this interview, we hear from Blair Jenkins, the chief of Yes Scotland. He reflects on the highs and lows, reveals what happened next behind the scenes, and suggests the country would say Yes if asked again. Look out for our second interview, published at the same time, with Better...

We look back at the pro-independence campaign in a two-part special featuring the leading figures from both sides. In this interview, we hear from Blair McDougall, the chief strategist of pro-UK group Better Together. He recalls working with the late Alistair Darling, political rivals, and considers if they took the right approach for a more definitive result.  Look out for our second interview, p...

Prison overcrowding is back in the headlines as some inmates are released early. But it’s not just prisoners serving their sentences, there are also big problems with the number of people on remand. We speak to Hamish Robertson, from the Wise Group, about a new project to tackle root problems, starting with a mentoring scheme in Perth.

The Stooshie team is back from summer break to find the Scottish bank account has been cleared out. What do these cuts mean? Does John Swinney’s SNP or Keir Starmer’s Labour have a plan? Are the Conservatives really still scrapping over who should lead them back from election disaster?

Scotland has had its say, and a week on from the election we survey the wreckage of the SNP and Conservative campaigns and try to work out what they might do next. We also hear from Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy's Melanie Ward, who shares an audio diary of her first days in Westminster as a new MP.    And finally, will John Swinney and Keir Starmer find some common ground after years of dysfunction an...

The opinion polls all agree who will be next prime minister. But lots of local contests are still far too close to call. What will the parties learn from crucial regional shifts in opinion? Some people won't get a say at all because of postal vote delays. We discuss the real-life impact and the anger building over the timing of this election.

The prime minister was back in Scotland to help Douglas Ross in a tight contest. Were they words of encouragement or damage limitation? Can Lib Dems pull of a Highland surprise? And will Reform have any impact in Scotland? All that and analysis of the latest election coverage from political reporters across the P&J, The Courier and the Sunday Post.

We discuss how Labour suspended its candidate in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East after exclusive reporting from our politics team. What happens next in the big contest between the SNP and Tories in the crucial region? Does Gordon Brown's impact still resonate in Fife - and can the Kingdom turn red? And we make some rash predictions about how many seats the Conservatives might win or lose in Sco...

Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross rocked his own campaign, leaving us to wonder what can possibly happen next. We look at new polling on the picture in Scotland, and what's happening with Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak. And we wonder if everyone's made up their mind already and just wants to watch Scotland at the Euros.

In an exclusive interview, John Swinney says he feared for his party when he stood to become leader earlier this year.   Speaking to David Clegg, the first minister reflected on the fast-paced first weeks in office, propelled from a think-tank event in London into the top job in Scottish politics.   Mr Swinney explains why he'd turned down a job from Humza Yousaf only a month before he resigned, a...

Rishi Sunak came to the Highlands where he doesn’t even have a candidate. Keir Starmer promised Scotland the earth, but not a location for his fabled GB Energy HQ. John Swinney found himself in an election moments after becoming First Minister. We discuss week one, we test the water among the people of Perth, and all the rest in the first of our election podcasts.

Simon Barker, a children's orthopaedic surgeon in Aberdeen, explains the growing concern over the use of new “physician associates” in a stretched health service. Are they valuable, quickly-trained additions, or is this “mission creep” to paper over gaps doctors can’t always cover? Dr Barker is deputy chairman of the British Medical Association’s Scottish council, and works in NHS Grampian.

Douglas Ross tells us drug addiction and death is a problem in rural areas like his Moray constituency, not just cities with problems such as Dundee and Glasgow. The Tory leader explains why his ‘right to addiction recovery bill’ should get support at Holyrood. We also look our coverage of the Men’s Sheds scheme which forced the SNP into a funding U-turn. And we explore Scottish Labour’s problems...

Becoming first minister was the easy bit for John Swinney. Now the handshakes and warm words are over, the hard work of governing begins. We speak with Kayleigh Quinn, who knows a thing or two about wrangling a difficult group at Holyrood. The former Scottish Labour organiser tells us what might be going through the new leader’s head as he looks at reshaping the SNP.

Humza Yousaf folded on April 29 after losing authority by ditching his Green coalition partners. We ask people in the outgoing first minister’s home city of Dundee what they think of his year in charge. We also hear from Green MSP Maggie Chapman, who was asked if she still has confidence in her own party leaders. Our political reporters look at the wreckage and discuss what might happen next as an...

A long-running plea for justice in the north of Scotland is being described as similar in scale to the Post Office scandal. At its heart are the dozens of families devastated by conman Alistair Greig. He was a respected financial advisor based in Aberdeen who ended up duping 184 victims out of £13 million. Now they want justice. To tell the story, we’re joined by Dale Haslam, an investigations rep...

Jennifer Lees-Marshment has studied political marketing and management since the rise of Tony Blair. In this episode, she tells us how the main parties are approaching the phony war before the election date is set. She also describes concerns that politicians are simply not trained to actually do their job when in power. Would you go to a surgeon who hasn’t been trained? Why should we expect to be...

Ahead of their conference in Dundee next week, Justin Bowie sits down with Roz Foyer, general secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Congress, to discuss what she thinks a potential Labour win in Westminster will mean for workers in Scotland.    Roz Foyer also shared her passion for ensuring Dundee women subject to years of unequal pay finally receive compensation from the city council after a yea...

Our team takes stock of a turbulent end of term at the Scottish Parliament. We look at the reaction to the Hate Crime Act, and the high profile interventions from JK Rowling to Ally McCoist. Meanwhile, there's an election looming - are social policy problems like housing making an impact? And we speak to North East Scotland College principal Neil Cowie for a featured interview on the impact of cut...

We speak to Liam McArthur, the MSP steering controversial assisted dying laws through Holyrood at the third time of asking. Are the safeguards enough to convince sceptics? Has Scotland’s parliament changed its mind since the last time it was debated? The Bill will be lodged at Holyrood on Friday - and then the serious job of scrutiny will begin.