Apolitical - a Scottish politics podcast

In Episode 15 of Apolitical we speak with James Cook, until recently the Scotland Correspondent and now Los Angeles Correspondent for BBC News. We chat about his experiences covering the Independence Referendum in 2014 and the General Election in 2015; allegations of bias in BBC reporting; and the things he’ll miss about Scottish politics when he […]

In Episode 14 of apolitical we speak with George Foulkes, the former Labour MP and MSP who now sits in the House of Lords as a life peer. We chat about his early involvement with politics; his views on Iraq, including the morality of regime change and where he believes criticism is due; the challenges facing Labour in […]

In Episode 13 of Apolitical we speak with Jamie Szymkowiak, ambassador for the One in Five campaign. We chat about the campaigns goals and ambitions; their success so far; and the measures they think will make a difference in the future.     Amongst the topics we discuss with Jamie on the podcast are: • Why the […]

In Episode 12 of apolitical we speak with Tommy Sheridan, Co-convener of the Solidarity Party and a former MSP. We chat about his grounding in activist politics; his role in the anti-poll tax movement; Donald Dewar’s secret, last-ditch attempt to retain warrant sales; the rise and fall of socialist politics in the Scottish parliament; the fallout from […]

In Episode 11 of Apolitical we speak with Terry Anderson, a cartoonist who put together The Auld Acquaintance, a referendum-themed exhibition. We chat about Terry’s political involvement; the exhibition; freedom of speech; and future prospects for Scottish political cartoonists.     Amongst the topics we discuss with Terry on the podcast are: • Challenges facing cartoonists around the world; • […]

In Episode 10 of apolitical we speak with Colin Fox, National co-spokesperson of the Scottish Socialist Party and a former MSP. We chat about his introduction to politics and activism; his disenchantment with the Scottish Labour Party; the decline in support for the SSP over the past decade; and what the future holds for the Left in Scotland. […]

In Episode 9 of apolitical we speak with Ian Dunn, Deputy Editor of the Scottish Catholic Observer and a columnist with CommonSpace. We chat about the part religion plays in politics; the influence of the Catholic Church on the voting habits of its adherents; and his challenging views on the difficulties facing the SNP in the future. […]

In Episode 8 of apolitical we speak with Patrick Harvie MSP, co-convener of the Scottish Green Party and prospective candidate for the Glasgow Kelvin constituency in 2016’s Scottish Parliament elections. We chat about Patrick’s grounding in Green politics, his prospects in the Holyrood elections and what distinguishes the Scottish Greens from other parties of the left.   […]

In Episode 7 of apolitical we speak with Angela Haggerty, Editor of CommonSpace, a new media news service created by the Common Weal think tank. We chat about political journalism in Scotland, threats to freedom of speech and Angela’s experiences with criminal levels of abuse on social media.     Amongst the topics we discuss with Angela on the […]

In Episode 6 of apolitical – recorded prior to the General Election – we speak with Cllr. Paul Kelly, a Scottish Labour councillor for Motherwell who was Frank Roy’s election agent during the 2015 Election. Outwith a dicey election prediction, we chat about local government, Jim Murphy’s leadership and why he can’t see Labour working with the SNP.   […]