The Lib Dem spokesperson for Scotland and Women & Equalities on GRR, Rwanda, and more. The MP for Edinburgh West joins Podlitical to discuss the Scottish Liberal Democrat strategy at the next General Election, why she "wasn't surprised" about a court decision to uphold the UK government's block on the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill, and why she thinks "divisive" policies such as the Rwanda asylum plans aren't what the electorate want.
Dec 12, 2023•37 min
PM Rishi Sunak faces revolt over Rwanda plans, and Scotland faces a budget black hole. In Westminster, the Prime Minister said his patience was "worn thin" on trying to pass a bill to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, telling Conservative MPs to get behind the plans after immigration minister Robert Jenrick resigned, and former Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces questions at the Covid Inquiry. In Holyrood, the Scottish Government plans to hold a special cabinet meeting ahead of the upcoming Scottis...
Dec 07, 2023•24 min
The Conservative MP and Minister for Nuclear & Networks sits down with Podlitical. Andrew Bowie speaks about moving away from the "toxic debate" around Brexit, and discusses his government's Rwanda asylum plans including why he thinks former Home Secretary Suella Braverman should "think about the consequences" of their words. Bowie reacts to the allegations that the Sellafield nuclear site was hacked by groups linked to foreign states, which the Office for Nuclear Regulation denies, and expl...
Dec 05, 2023•36 min
The team share thoughts on former Labour chancellor Lord Darling, who has died aged 70. From steering the UK through the 2008 global financial crisis, to his work on the Better Together campaign during the 2014 Scottish Independence referendum, the team look back on the former Edinburgh MP's long career, and the tributes that have poured in from fellow politicians across the spectrum.
Nov 30, 2023•15 min
The SNP Westminster leader and MP for Aberdeen South sits down with the Podlitical team, discussing his year in post so far, his relationship with former Westminster leader Ian Blackford, the challenges the SNP has faced over the last 12 months, and more. Flynn talks about the recent news of Scottish Health Secretary Michael Matheson's iPad bill, and the criticism he faced following Remembrance Sunday, as he also shares his thoughts on how the level of online abuse faced by politicians is "off t...
Nov 28, 2023•34 min
The Matheson iPad saga continues and Chancellor Hunt delivers the Autumn Statement. The team discuss the latest developments of Scottish Health Minister Michael Matheson's £11k iPad roaming bill, with the Scottish Conservatives threatening a vote of no confidence, but not yet following through in Parliament. In Westminster, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has delivered the Autumn Statement, announcing tax cuts and more, with the fast-forwarding of his announced 2p National Insurance cut to January fuelli...
Nov 23, 2023•24 min
Ash Regan, former cabinet minister and now sole Alba MSP in Holyrood, talks to Podlitical. Speaking to Phil Sim, the MSP for Edinburgh Eastern discusses the reasons she had for quitting her cabinet post in Nicola Sturgeon's government, her unsuccessful leadership bid, and why she moved to the Alba party. Regan talks about the comments made by First Minister Humza Yousaf after she left, as well as her feelings around Gender Recognition Reform, and why she thinks the SNP need to have a "serious th...
Nov 16, 2023•37 min
Suella Braverman is sacked, and ex-PM David Cameron returns to government. Following a row over a Times article by the then-Home Secretary Suella Braverman ahead of the Armistice Day weekend, Monday saw her sacking and the shock return of David Cameron to frontline politics. The team react to the surprising turn of events, discussing if this is the end of Prime Minister Sunak's troubles with Braverman, or if he risks splits on the right of the party. What message does the Prime Minister want to ...
Nov 14, 2023•30 min
Headaches for the UK and Scottish Governments around WhatsApp, roaming iPads, and marches. In Holyrood, opposition parties claim First Minister Humza Yousaf misled parliament over government WhatsApp messages sent during the pandemic, which the FM has denied. This was followed with the news that Scottish Health Secretary Michael Matheson racked up an £11,000 roaming bill on an iPad he took to Morocco, charges he claims were caused while doing constituency work using an outdated SIM card. Meanwhi...
Nov 09, 2023•28 min
The Lib Dem peer and former Deputy First Minister shares thoughts from his career. Lord Wallace talks to Lucy Whyte and Kirsten Campbell about the early days of Scottish Parliament, his conversations with First Minister Donald Dewar and Prime Minister Tony Blair, and his role as acting First Minister. Wallace shares his thoughts Brexit and Independence, as well as the UK Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition of 2010, and why he thinks political parties have a problem with offering things that ...
Nov 07, 2023•30 min
WhatsApp communications during the pandemic cause trouble in Holyrood and Westminster. As the UK Covid Inquiry continues, some of the submitted messages between Government officials paint a revealing (and sometimes expletive-laden) picture of decision making during the pandemic. Meanwhile in Holyrood, senior figures in the Scottish Government have been accused of deleting messages requested by the UK Covid inquiry. First Minister Humza Yousaf has said he has not removed any of his own messages, ...
Nov 02, 2023•26 min
The SNP MP for Glasgow East on moving the dial on Scottish independence and more. The team quiz David Linden MP on the SNP's independence plans, why he thinks the conversation around process has been overplayed, and what he makes of the SNP's current strategy. The team ask him about Lisa Cameron's defection to the Conservatives, and why he thinks the council tax freeze announcement at the SNP conference was a "masterstroke". For a range of political interviews, subscribe to Podlitical on BBC Sou...
Oct 31, 2023•26 min
The team sit down with Shadow Scottish Secretary Ian Murray MP to discuss how he sees the current relationship between Westminster and Holyrood, and what a potential future Labour government would do differently. The MP for Edinburgh South shares his thoughts on Michael Shanks' Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election win and how Anas Sarwar is doing as Scottish Labour leader, the independence movement, Labour councillors resigning over leader Keir Starmer's Israel/Gaza comments, and his stance ...
Oct 27, 2023•35 min
The team check in on how the SNP, Labour, and Tories are doing post-conference. With three of the party conferences done, and a handful of by-election results being keenly analysed, what can be said about the positions of these three parties as they gear up to fight in the next general election? A year is a long time in politics, and as both the by-elections and the unfolding crisis in Israel and Gaza show, a lot can happen in a short space of time. What are the strategies in both Holyrood and W...
Oct 26, 2023•28 min
The team discuss the SNP conference, from a council tax freeze to the FM's speech. The team talk through First Minister Humza Yousaf's announced Scottish council tax freeze and the reaction from councils, as well as the SNP's new independence strategy, and the appearance of a certain former First Minister. Following the defeat in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election and the defection of MP Lisa Cameron to the Tories, what was the mood like on the ground at the Aberdeen conference, and ho...
Oct 19, 2023•22 min
The MSP on becoming an "accidental Green" and how she changed her mind on independence. Gillian Mackay of the Scottish Greens sits down with Lucy and Phil to chat about how she became a politician, what it's like navigating Holyrood as a new MSP, her thoughts on the Bute House agreement with the SNP, and how she moved from being a "No" voter to a supporter of Scottish Independence. For a range of political interviews, subscribe to Podlitical on BBC Sounds.
Oct 10, 2023•31 min
Labour celebrates victory in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election, with leader Keir Starmer claiming the party "blew the doors off" as candidate Michael Shanks oversaw a landslide win over the SNP. The team gather to discuss the mood on the ground in Rutherglen and Hamilton West, what this might tell us about the next General Election (and what it doesn't), and where this leaves First Minister Humza Yousaf's SNP following their first defeat since he took office.
Oct 06, 2023•22 min
With HS2's future unclear, conversation at the Tory conference gets railroaded. The team discuss the rumours and speculation swirling at the Conservative party conference in Manchester, with both delegates and opposition seeking clarity on what Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will announce regarding the Birmingham to Manchester leg of HS2. What would the cancellation mean for Scotland, and has the speculation overshadowed the other announcements during conference? The team also look ahead to Labour's...
Oct 03, 2023•19 min
The controversial Rosebank offshore oil development gets the go ahead. Just a week after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak changed up his Government's climate targets, regulators have approved a new offshore development off the coast of Shetland. Supporters say it's essential to the green transition and will create jobs, but critics say it's just another blow in the fight against climate change. BBC Scotland's Environment, Energy, & Rural Affairs Correspondent Kevin Keane joins the team to weigh up...
Sep 28, 2023•27 min
The SNP MP on how her health issues colour her work, and why Westminster can be "toxic". After suffering a brain haemorrhage during the Covid pandemic in 2020, Amy Callaghan returned to Parliament in 2021, and became the SNP's Westminster health spokesperson. Phil Sim sits down with the MP and talks about the chaotic few years in both her personal and political life, the challenges of being a young woman in Parliament, sitting in Scotland's most marginal seat, and how she feels about *that* Nico...
Sep 27, 2023•24 min
What does the Prime Minister's shakeup of green commitments mean for Scotland? Following a leak to the BBC, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced a shift in net zero greenhouse gas emission targets, pushing the timeline to replace fossil fuel burning cars and boilers further back. While Sunak claims he's still committed to reaching net zero by 2050, First Minister Humza Yousaf has said it would be "unforgivable" for the UK to row back on its climate commitments - but what does it actually mea...
Sep 21, 2023•29 min
The Deputy Leader of the Scottish Conservatives on her career, motherhood, and GRR. Lucy Whyte and Georgia Roberts sit down with Meghan Gallacher MSP, and discuss her beginnings in North Lanarkshire, how she developed conservative beliefs, and her rise to become deputy leader of the Scottish Conservative party. The team discuss Gender Recognition Reform and the late night vote last year, as well as what she thinks of the UK Government using a Section 35 order to veto the cross-party legislation....
Sep 19, 2023•36 min
A drug room pilot gets the go ahead, and Labour's Starmer promises to "smash the gangs". The team discuss the week's top political news, including the UK Government saying it won't block plans for a drug consumption room pilot in Scotland, in an attempt to reduce drug deaths. In Westminster, Prime Minister Sunak faces problems with UK-China relations after alleged spying claims emerged, while opposition leader Keir Starmer heads to The Hague to talk about tackling small boat gangs with the EU, a...
Sep 14, 2023•27 min
The former First Minister on his chats with Humza Yousaf, and how politics became "petty". The team sit down with Lord Jack McConnell, the Labour First Minister for Scotland from 2001 - 2007, where he reflects on his time in power and the state of political discourse today. Lord McConnell talks about how he sees parties lose touch with voters, how politics moved from class-based to identity-based and its consequences, and whether or not he'd accept a role in a Starmer Government if Labour is suc...
Sep 12, 2023•34 min
From crumbly concrete to conferences, Holyrood and Westminster are back from recess, but did politics ever really go away? As parties gear up for by-elections including the potential bellwether seat of Rutherglen and Hamilton West, and conference season approaches, the team discuss the events over the summer and what comes next. What do the next few months have in store for Holyrood and Westminster? With First Minister Humza Yousaf announcing his programme for government, and the UK Government g...
Sep 07, 2023•28 min
Why and how are constituency boundaries drawn, and why do they change? Join Phil Sim for a deep dive into the review of Westminster and Holyrood boundaries with Professor Ailsa Henderson, Chair of Boundaries Scotland, and Allan Faulds of Ballot Box Scotland. They discuss the detail and feedback that goes into making decisions, the misconceptions around boundary changes, how the changes work, and how some rules can cause quirky border oddities and long constituency names. Phil and Allan also disc...
Aug 17, 2023•38 min
Parties gear up for a by-election as MP Margaret Ferrier loses her seat. The constituents for Rutherglen and Hamilton West have voted to remove Ferrier from office, where she has sat as an independent MP after being kicked out of the SNP in 2020 for breaching Covid travel rules. Following a 30 day suspension from the commons, the recall petition to remove her was signed by almost 15% of the eligible constituents, passing the 10% threshold which triggers a by-election. With party campaigning now ...
Aug 02, 2023•21 min
The team discuss the drama and political ramifications of three by-elections. Keir Mather may have become the youngest MP in the House of Commons, but what do the mixed results mean for Labour's other Keir? And, what key messages can the Tories take away from the results, as they head towards a general election? The panel discuss the importance of local issues, the national picture and, of course, who's leading on the coffee intake stakes.
Jul 21, 2023•22 min
As Holyrood stands for summer recess, parties appear to be gearing up not slowing down. The team looks back on the last Parliamentary period, which saw two Monarchs, two First Ministers, and three Prime Ministers, and discuss why it seems that the parties in Scottish Parliament are already on election footing ahead of the next General Election, despite it potentially being over a year away. In what promises to be a busy summertime, the team look to the events and legislation to watch ahead Scott...
Jun 29, 2023•33 min
The team look ahead to the SNP's "Convention on Independence" in Dundee. With First Minister Humza Yousaf due to open the convention with a speech, what will we learn about the SNP's preferred Scottish independence strategy going forward? The team chats through some of the options that may be on the table for the membership, as well as what strategies they might employ to raise support. From defacto referendums, constitutions, and mass marches, what shape will the independence movement in Scotla...
Jun 22, 2023•29 min
