The Unofficial Report

Join Sarah Cowie and Anna Cowan for the latest episode of The Unofficial Report as they unravel the WiPA Manifesto Mini-Series! With Holyrood 2026 on the horizon, discover how you can make your mark in the world of policy and public affairs. Tune in to learn the importance of crafting concise, impactful asks, understanding key dates, and presenting your data to resonate with the Scottish political...

In the latest episode of our podcast - The Unofficial Report - we spoke to  Lauren Currie OBE , Founder of  UPFRONT , an organisation on a mission to change confidence, visibility, and power for 10 million women. In just 30 minutes, we cover: - Why imposter syndrome isn’t your fault - The myth of work-life balance and why we need to talk about working mothers - Her new children's book to teach...

Join Sarah and Ashley as they discuss the recently published UK Youth Poll 2025 from the John Smith Centre. This study focused on young people's views on democracy, social media and the economy - we asked what this means for Scottish politics and politicians in the run up to May 2026. You can read the full research here: https://www.johnsmithcentre.com/uk-youth-poll-2025/

Join Rebekah, and guest host, Dominique, as we mark International Women's Day by discussing the realities of gender equality in the UK.

In this episode of The Unofficial Report, we are joined by our new-ish Co-Chair, Eli Harji who talks to us about why she got involved with WiPA and exciting plans for the year ahead. Eli also works for the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations and the main basis of our discussion focuses on housing policy in Scotland, including the declaration of a 'housing emergency' and how the main politi...

WiPA Scotland is excited to present this bonus episode of The Unofficial Report - join former WiPA Chair, Lucy Miller, as she talks to her close friend Raisah about the race riots that took place during the summer of 2024 and how these impacted her as a South Asian British woman. This is a fascinating episode that we hope you all enjoy!

Join Sarah and Ashley, and new co-host Bekah, to discuss all the big moments in politics from the first few weeks of 2025.

Join Sarah and Ashley for our last episode of 2024! In this episode, they discuss some of the key political moments of a year that has certainly been anything but boring for Scot Pol. Tune in to hear reflections on the general election, progress on our climate goals and general Scottish political calamity. From all of us at WiPA Scotland, Happy Holidays and see you next year! ~All views expressed...

In this episode of The Unofficial Report , hosts Ashley and Lucy dive deep into the upcoming U.S. election, exploring the critical issues shaping the race with special guest Dr. Maha Rafi Atal, Senior Lecturer in Political Economy at the University of Glasgow. Together, they discuss the global significance of U.S. politics for the UK and Scotland, the potential impact of Kamala Harris as a groundb...

Welcome to our 11th episode of The Unofficial Report! The exclusively women-led podcast focusing on Scottish public affairs brought to you by WiPA Scotland. On this episode, Sarah and Ashley are joined by Professor Nicole McEwen, the Director of the Centre for Public Policy based in the University of Glasgow. Together we explored the complexities of devolution particularly in relation to Scottish...

In this episode of the Unofficial Report, Sarah Cowie and Clare Slipper chat with Executive Director of Close the Gap, Anna Ritchie Allan. We have a fascinating conversation with Anna where we hear all about the crucial difference between the gender pay gap and equal pay; intersectionality within gender pay gap reporting; and what companies can do to make their organisations more inclusive! If you...

In this live episode event, WiPA Scotland Co-Chair, Lucy Miller and Glasgow Councillor for the Scottish Green Party, Holly Bruce speak about their experiences of being bisexual women in public life. Lucy and Holly chat about coming out in both a personal and professional capacity, queer representation in Scottish politics and some interesting celebrity crush admissions!

2024 is set to witness the highest number of people head to the polls, ever! It’s a big year for politics and a huge opportunity to see more women enter elected office. On this episode of the Unofficial Report, Ashley and Lucy are joined by Hannah Stevens, CEO of Elect Her, a not-for-profit organisation that work to motivate, support and equip women in all their diversity to stand for political of...

In this latest episode of The Unofficial Report, Lucy Miller and Sarah Cowie discuss their thoughts on some of the topics raised at our recent Women in Finance event, kindly sponsored by RBS. As well as musings on life and politics, financial literacy and *girllbossification*.

Join Clare and Sarah for this International Women's Day themed episode of The Unofficial Report! On this episode, we're joined by Jenni Snell, CEO at The Young Women's Movement Scotland . Tune in to hear all about Jenni's journey to becoming a CEO, what needs to change in the public affairs sector to support women into senior leadership roles, and some of the work of YWM including...

For the first episode of 2024, new podcast co-leads Sarah Cowie and Ashley McLean chat to our new co-chairs Lucy Miller, Ellie Wagstaff and Jodie Hedley about their plans for WiPA in 2024 and beyond, as well as musings on politics, careers, and most importantly, The Traitors.

For this month's episode, WiPA Scotland's Kimberley Somerside and Lucy Miller spoke with Ashley McLean, Policy and Parliamentary Officer for The Poverty Alliance, about the work of the Alliance and addressing poverty in Scotland in 2023. This conversation took place ahead of Challenge Poverty Week, taking place from 2-8 October. For more information, visit www.povertyalliance.org/cpw.

Liz Lloyd is a highly accomplished political figure and strategist, renowned for her role as the former Chief of Staff and Strategic Adviser to Nicola Sturgeon, former First Minister of Scotland. With a strong intellect, unwavering dedication, and exceptional skills in government operations, Lloyd has made a significant impact on the political landscape of Scotland. This episode of The Unofficial...

Women in Public Affairs (WiPA) Scotland in partnership with CIPR Scotland Future Leaders Forum hosted a panel discussion on The Future of Policy Making in Scotland. The discussion included insights from Back Off Scotland and journalist Hannah Brown on the following: • Emerging trends in Scottish policy making • Lobbying in a post-COVID environment • The role of media and social media in policy and...

This is The Unofficial Report - a podcast from the Women in Public Affairs (WiPA) Scotland network. WiPA Scotland brings together professionals working at all levels in public affairs, politics, communications and policy in Scotland, to network, build friendships and provide support, advice and training. The Unofficial Report is a space for discussion and analysis of all that is happening in Scott...