Podlitical

Holyrood enters recess and the election period begins ahead of the May 6th vote. BBC political journalist Kirsten Campbell joins the team to talk about the last week of madness in Scottish Parliament, the last-minute NHS pay rise announcement, and the friendly end to this term of Holyrood which has been punctuated by intense debate and anger. As the Coronavirus pandemic continues, what will the pa...

Andy Wightman MSP joins the team to share his experiences inside the Salmond committee. Nick, Lynsey, and Phil have a frank discussion with him, as he reveals an insider perspective to the committee which found the First Minister has misled the inquiry in her evidence, and concluded The Scottish government's handling of harassment complaints against Alex Salmond was "seriously flawed". We find out...

Lines are drawn, anger flares, and election rhetoric begins as Holyrood heads for recess. In the last week before we enter the election period ahead of the May 6th vote, the team discusses the clash between the First Minister and Conservative Holyrood leader Ruth Davidson at FMQs, the potential effect of the Hamilton inquiry, and the upcoming Scottish independence bill.

Following the killing of Sarah Everard, the team talk about women's safety and the political response to her death with campaigner Ashley Crossan. Speaking to Lucy Whyte, Lynsey Bews, and Phil Sim, they discuss what legislation is being introduced, issues surrounding the political debate of women's safety, and ask: How can we make society safer for women?

Professor Sir John Curtice joins the team to discuss how Scottish parties are polling. How has the pandemic influenced voters? Will the Salmond inquiry dent or bolster support for the SNP? Professor Curtice shares his insight on this and more with Lucy, Phil, and Lynsey, as we head towards the Holyrood elections in May.

The team digest the First Minister's marathon evidence session at the Holyrood committee, as Nicola Sturgeon rejects suggestions she broke the ministerial code, and claims that allegations of conspiracy made against her by Former First Minister Alex Salmond are "absurd". BBC Scotland political editor Glenn Campbell joins the team to pick through the nearly eight hour hearing, how opposition partie...

There are rows over redactions and claims of conspiracy as the Salmond inquiry continues. From a fiery session of FMQs to the Scottish Parliament publishing a revised version of a submission from Alex Salmond after the Crown Office raised "grave concerns" about it, the team explains the anger on both sides - and what impact it could have on the landscape of Scottish politics.

As the vaccine rollout continues, the team discuss the pitfalls of positive promises, and the additional caution both First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Prime Minister Boris Johnson appear to be taking ahead of the planned release of a road map out of this lockdown. With political concern over promising a definitive timetable being met with businesses seeking clarity, the team chat about the fine...

The team discusses what's next for the Holyrood inquiry if Alex Salmond doesn't appear, after the two sides failed to come to an agreement and the committee said the former First Minister had set conditions that they "simply could never meet". Ahead of the potential appearance by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon next week, what kind of impact will this have on the Hamilton and Salmond inquiries, and...

Tensions grow in the SNP, as Joanna Cherry is dropped from the Westminster front bench. In a public row, she claims she was 'sacked', while the party says it had made a number of changes to its Westminster team before the upcoming Holyrood election. Ahead of next week's potential appearance of Alex Salmond at the inquiry into how the Scottish Government handled sexual misconduct complaints, and wi...

Ahead of standing down from Holyrood, MSPs Aileen Campbell and Jenny Marra discuss if family life and political work can mix. Is it possible to balance raising children and a career on the campaign trail? Lucy and Rajdeep sit them down for a frank talk on the reasons they are choosing to leave frontline politics for now, as well as what they hope changes in the future to ease the difficulties of b...

Political planning around a potential second independence referendum ramps up a notch as the SNP release their 11-step 'roadmap' to independence, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson heads to Scotland. As both Unionist and Independence parties plead their case to the voting public ahead of the Holyrood election in May, the team discuss what arguments are being made, as well as what's happening behind...

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard has stood down, so what's next for the party? With the Holyrood Elections in May, BBC Scotland political editor Glenn Campbell joins the team to discuss the party's prospects, as the leadership race between Anas Sarwar and Monica Lennon begins. They discuss the difficulties facing Scottish Labour in introducing a new leader to the public ahead of the election...

Brand new year, brand new political problems? The team discuss the busy start to 2021, including another lockdown and fears over Coronavirus mutations, Brexit finally being done and the so-called 'teething problems' surrounding fishing, as well as the growing split between First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and her former mentor Alex Salmond.

As tougher Christmas guidance is issued, what is the political thinking behind the rules? From bubbles to baubles, the team discuss the political dilemma leaders of the four nations face, and the potential risks to public health as we enter the new year. In the final episode of the year, Lucy, Phil, Rajdeep, Nick, and Lynsey also look back on 2020 and discuss their standout moments.

As Brexit trade talks reach a standstill, the possibility of a deal looks more unlikely, with the UK Government saying negotiations may not go on beyond Sunday. The team chats about the sticking points over fishing access and more, as well as what happens as we reach the deadline, and whether the negotiators might pull off a deal in the final hours. Is there a chance discussions can continue, or d...

How did a US-based conspiracy about Donald Trump gain followers in Scotland and the UK? BBC Trending editor Mike Wendling and Hope Not Hate researcher Dr. Joe Mulhall join Lucy and Phil to discuss how QAnon exploded online. Why is it starting to make appearances across the UK and Europe, from online groups to anti-mask protests outside of Holyrood? The team talk about the origins of QAnon, it's ap...

The team attempts to unravel the layers of infighting inside the SNP post-conference, including the potential political manoeuvres by former leader Alex Salmond and MP Joanna Cherry. There's also good news for the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon as the Coronavirus vaccine is poised to begin its rollout, and it's crunch time in Westminster as the Brexit deadline looms.

Author & psychologist Claudia Hammond talks lockdown loneliness during Christmas, including how the pandemic has impacted the nation's mental wellbeing, how the Government needs to handle potential increased pressure on mental health services, and ways we can improve and manage our moods as we enter the holiday season.

Christmas is approaching, and the UK has taken a four nation approach to the festivities, but what were the political motivations behind the move to allow restricted gatherings, and does it make sense while we're still in the middle of a pandemic? The team sits down to discuss the thinking inside the UK and Scottish Governments, and some of the regulations they're asking people to abide by.

Boris Johnson is facing the heat after reportedly calling Scottish devolution a disaster, causing anger from Labour and the SNP, as well as creating a potential headache for the Scottish Conservatives ahead of the 2021 Holyrood elections. But just how successful has devolution been? As political parties become more polarised, and even the pronunciation of the word itself called into question by th...

As the new Covid-19 vaccine is announced, the team discuss the political implications with BBC Scotland health correspondent Lisa Summers. Will it really be the silver bullet that can end the cycle of lockdowns in the UK, and what sort of impact will the rollout have on the 2021 Holyrood elections in Scotland? Lisa also explains the other tools in the Government's kit to reduce the number of coron...

BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg joins the team to chat about how Whitehall views the apparent rise in support for Scottish independence, the discussions going on inside Number 10 about what they can do to counter it, and the concern of Unionists about the potential impact of continuing to rule out a referendum if the SNP wins a majority at next year's Holyrood election.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced the furlough scheme is to be extended to March, but why now? The scheme will cover the whole UK as England enters a four week lockdown, but the Governments of Scotland and Wales have been critical, saying it should have been extended sooner. Will this new spate of spending help the economy and jobs over winter, or is it coming too late?

Scotland's new five-tier system is unveiled and former Labour leader Corbyn is suspended as the team tackle another busy news day. Will the Scottish Government's new restrictions manage to crack down on Covid-19 cases before Christmas? Meanwhile, in Westminster, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has suspended Jeremy Corbyn from the party over his reaction to a highly critical report on anti-Semitism....