Podlitical

With multiple strikes announced, is the UK facing a Winter of Discontent like in 1978-79? As the Royal College of Nursing announces its first strike in its 106 year history, and with strikes also announced by the civil servant's union PCS, the EIS Scottish teaching union, and the Aslef rail union, the team is joined by former BBC industrial correspondent Nick Jones, who explains the parallels and...

From budget cuts to "I'm A Celebrity...!", the team tackle another busy week in politics. In Holyrood, deputy First Minister John Swinney announces further spending cuts in an emergency budget review, and the SNP faced its largest rebellion in 15 years in government over Gender Recognition reform, which saw SNP minister Ash Regan resign. In Westminster, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says he will now...

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says the UK faces "difficult decisions" for economic stability. As he seeks to gain the confidence of the market, what are his Government's plans when it comes to curbing inflation, balancing the budget, and taxation as it announces the new budget will be delayed? The team are joined by financial consultant Helen Thomas, a former special advisor to shadow Chancellor Geor...

New Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hopes to unite the Conservatives under his leadership after a quick contest, but with divisions still fresh after the premiership of Liz Truss, how will he do it? As economic and cost of living pressures continue, and with the opposition parties calling for a General Election, the team reacts to the appointment of the new PM, and discuss what happens next.

Can the embattled Prime Minister Liz Truss rally the support of her party? It's been another difficult week of U-turns for the Conservatives as new Chancellor Jeremy Hunt takes an axe to Kwasi Kwarteng's previous mini-budget announcements, and the PM faces Labour Leader Keir Starmer at PMQs. What can the Prime Minister do to win back the support of both Conservative MPs and the public? Also, the S...

The Indyref Supreme Court case kicks off, and disquiet continues in the Tory party. Off the back of the SNP conference, the team take a deep dive into the first two days of the Supreme Court hearings over whether or not the Scottish government is able to legislate for a second independence referendum, and Phil Sim shares his view from inside the courtroom. Meanwhile, in Westminster, the rough star...

Conference season continues as PM Liz Truss this week laid out her vision for the UK. As Rajdeep returns from the Tory conference in Birmingham and Phil gears up to head to the Aberdeen based SNP conference, the team discuss the different plans for the future being shared by political parties. Did Prime Minister Truss' conference speech manage to shore up support from her MPs and calm jumpy market...

Financial markets remain rattled nearly a week after the Chancellor's 'mini-budget', but Prime Minister Liz Truss and Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng are sticking to their guns on their economic announcements, saying international pressures have had an impact on its reception. As the Bank of England intervenes by buying bonds, what does the current economic turmoil mean for pensions and mortgages, and w...

The economic chips are down, and Prime Minister Truss looks set to bet on lowering tax. The Prime Minister and her Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng will lay out their plans this week in a "mini-budget", with a focus on tax cuts, but critics say it isn't enough. As the Bank of England puts up interest rates, a potential recession looms (or may have already arrived), and living standards are dropping at th...

The team reflect on the Queen's influence on Scotland and Scottish politics. BBC Scotland politics correspondent Kirsten Campbell and BBC News Scotland editor James Cook join to share their experience covering the news of the Queen's death, and their memories of the late monarch and her impact on the Scottish political landscape. From the formal openings of Holyrood, the tensions during the 2014 I...

It's the first FMQs as Holyrood returns after recess, and Podlitical is in parliament. Lucy and Phil are joined in the Scottish Parliament's Garden Lobby by political reporter Abbi Garton-Crosbie of The National and Scottish political editor Rachel Watson of The Scottish Sun to discuss the big challenges and issues facing Holyrood this year. From the multi-billion pound package to help with energy...

Liz Truss has won the Conservative leadership election and is set to become the new PM - so what's the first item to tackle on her agenda? Whether it's the cost of living crisis, calls for a second Scottish independence referendum, or the war in Ukraine, the new Prime Minister will be facing a very large "to-do" list. The team discuss what her plans may be going forward, from freezing energy bills...

Prime Ministerial hopefuls Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss face Tory voters in Scotland. Lucy Whyte speaks to Phil Sim and Glenn Campbell from Perth to get an inside look at the hustings, after the two Conservative candidates sell themselves as the best person to be Prime Minister to party members. Where do they stand on Indyref2, taxation, and what to do about the cost of living crisis?

Phil Sim takes a deep dive into 'crypto' and how the technology could benefit Scotland. From giddy highs to nail-biting lows, the cryptocurrency market has seen a volatile few weeks. The sector can sometimes seem like the Wild West, with stories of lucky Bitcoin millionaires and people losing out in get-rich-quick scams. But what exactly is cryptocurrency and the blockchain, and is it being used t...

The cost of living crisis deepens as two Conservative candidates vie to be the next PM. How much will inflation and taxation play into Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak's pitches to Conservative party members to be Prime Minister? What are their plans to help out those who are struggling? BBC consumer affair correspondent Connor Gillies joins the team, and shares insights from his roadshow around Scotland...

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced his resignation. What happens next? Phil, Rajdeep, and Nick discuss the latest developments in the saga of Boris Johnson's resignation, from the mass quitting of his ministers, to the pressure on him from MPs. Who is in the running to be the next Prime Minister, and what impact might this have on the Scottish Government's plans for independence and the ti...

The team take a deep dive into the potential plans for a second independence referendum as Holyrood breaks for summer recess. What avenues do the Scottish Government and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon have for indyref2, and in which ways might these plans be scuppered? From a "gold standard" Section 30 order referendum, to a legal fight in the Supreme court, how might the next year in Scotland's c...

Is Scotland and the wider UK facing a 'summer of discontent'? BBC Scotland consumer affairs correspondent Connor Gillies joins the Podlitical team to discuss the rail strikes and the ongoing cost of living crisis. As inflation hits a 40 year high, what does this mean for budgets on both the personal and Government level, and are there any economic levers that can be pulled to tamp down the sky hig...

From nukes and NATO, to the NHS, the team discuss a second Independence referendum. As the Scottish Government release the first in a series of papers which it says will set out and debate the case for Scotland's independence, what are the key obstacles to a further independence referendum facing First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and the pro-independence parties in Holyrood? BBC Scotland political ed...

Prime Minister Johnson survived a no-confidence vote, but is his position really secure? With by-elections looming, the team discuss the mood inside the Conservative Party, the PM's "benefits to bricks" pledge, and what happens next for Boris Johnson as his premiership appears to sit on shaky ground. How are opposition parties capitalising on the challenges facing the Tories, and will we soon hear...

The long-awaited Sue Gray report into Downing Street lockdown parties is released. What implications does the 60 page report have for Prime Minister Boris Johnson? Will the "humbled" PM's apology to Parliament for the behaviour noted in the report be enough, and has the Partygate saga put Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross in a tricky position? The team also discuss Nicola Sturgeon's record-breakin...

Who is being hit the hardest by the continuing cost of living crisis? BBC Consumer Affairs correspondent Colletta Smith joins the team to discuss what costs are eating away at the purchasing power of the pounds in our pockets. Where are the biggest price rises coming from, what actions are the Scottish and UK Governments taking, and do these plans go far enough?

What do the local election results mean for the state of the Union? The team discusses the growing tensions over the Northern Ireland Protocol, the contents of the Queen's speech and what it means for the cost of living crisis, and the pressure growing on the UK Government as the SNP win in the Scottish local elections, and Sinn Féin becomes largest party in the NI Assembly.

Podlitical reveals a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to cover an election. Lucy Whyte interviews the regular Podlitical team and other BBC colleagues to get a picture of the internal workings of a news organisation as results from the local council elections in Scotland and across the UK pour in. As the SNP again finish as the biggest party in the Scottish council elections, and with Labou...

Allan Faulds of Ballot Box Scotland joins the team to chat all things local elections. A week before Scotland heads to the polls in the local council elections, the team take a look at the nitty-gritty of the electoral process. What are the main issues driving people to the voting booth, and will turnout be higher or lower than previous years? How are votes calculated, why is it so complicated, an...