On this week's Gulhane on Politics, the last episode in 2022, we look back on the year.

We remember Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth's final journey to Scotland's capital;

We also reflect on a year of political drama;

And we highlight the Scottish Conservative's plan to support the NHS and patients through the upcoming tough winter.

On this week's Gulhane on Politics, we lead on this year's World AIDS Day debate in the Scottish Parliament.

In Scotland, the goal is to achieve zero new infections by 2030.

We have come a long way in recent years. But still too many at-risk people don't know how to protect themselves from infection or can't access speacil testing and advisory services.

This week we also focus on a worrying increase in Strep A infections and scarlet fever in children. The United Kingdom Health Security Agency has issued an urgent public health message due to a rise in the related, but more deadly, Invasive Group A (iGAS) strepococcal infections.

On this week’s Gulhane on Politics, what a week in Scottish politics !

Warning: Our micro picked-up foul language from an SNP heckler at 2 mins 56 secs into the episode.

In a unanimous ruling, the United Kingdom’s Supreme Court determined that The Scottish Parliament does not have the power to call an independence referendum – as only the UK Government can decide on constitutional matters.

On hearing the Supreme Court’s ruling, Nicola Sturgeon, doubled-down.

In dangerous language straight out of the Donald Trump playbook, she suggested that Scots who are opposed to a referendum are not democrats – as if only independence supporting Scots are supporters of Scottish democracy.

Also on this week’s episode, Health Secretary Humza Yousaf is in hot water, again.

We learned about damning minutes of meetings by senior management of Scotland’s health boards - which are ultimately under the control of the Scottish Government’s Health Secretary.

These minutes tell us that the Health Secretary’s NHS bosses have been weighing-up charging wealthier patients to access NHS services.

And as I explained in a Parliamentary debate on supporting primary care services, NHS management appear to have lost trust in this government and its hapless Health Secretary Humza Yousaf.

We often discuss and debate Scotland’s terribly sad and shameful record on drug-related deaths.

In 2021, we lost 1,330 Scots – lives cut short, families torn apart.

It is no exaggeration to say that under the SNP Government, drug-related deaths have spiralled out of control.

It’s clear that the SNP’s strategies to help those struggling with addiction have failed.

We cannot go on like this.

The Scottish Government should back the proposed Right to Addiction Recovery (Scotland) Bill which would enshrine in law a right to treatment so that all those affected by addiction in Scotland can get the support they need.

On this week's Gulhane on Politics, we consider the UK Chancellor's tens of billions of pounds in tax rises and spending cuts aimed at mending the nation's finances - and what this means for Scotland. I'm joined by Liz Smith, Scottish Conservatives Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Economy.

From 'sound money' to 'funny money', the SNP is tying itself up in knots over its plans for a National Care Service. Stakeholders across the board are deeply concerned because there's a lack of detail on what the SNP intends to do in practice. Plus, even its own MSPs are muddled about how this will all be paid for.

On this week's Gulhane on Politics we focus again on Scotland's SNP-led government's stewardship of the country's health service - and we call for the resignation of its hapless Health Secretary, Humza Yousaf.

We also meet with the Marie Curie organisation which provides amazing palliative / end of life care services. Marie Curie runs 2 hospices in Scotland, in Glasgow and Edinburgh. www.mariecurie.org.uk

And we also visit the Shettleston Men's Shed - a focal point for retired men in the east of Glasgow where they have a large carpentry workshop, a music room, computer literacy classes, a pool table and space to chill out and chat. The Men's Shed helps men avoid social isolation which many experience as they grow older.  www.scottishmsa.org.uk

The Scottish Government is pushing ahead with its plans to establish a National Care Service. The Bill, as it stands, allows Scottish Ministers to transfer social care responsibility from local authorities to a new centralised service. It's the most radical reform of Scottish public services since devolution in 1999 - covering adult and children services, residential and care at home. Yet the SNP Ministers have not worked out how people would receive better services - and confusion abounds on how much it would all cost, possibly over a billion pounds.

Outside the bubble of the SNP-led government, local councils, charities and care providers are deeply worried. We visit a care community on the outskirts of Edinburgh to hear more about their concerns. https://www.tiphereth.org.uk/about 

We also visited Scotland's SPCA Animal Rescue and Rehousing Centre at Cardonald in south Glasgow. The Centre mainly cares for sick, injured and stray animals - and can help members of the public who may not be able cope with their pet anymore. But the Centre also steps-in to support dogs that have been seized from illegal puppy farms. Puppy farming is big business and estimated to be worth £13 million per year in Scotland - with dogs bred in huge numbers with little regard for their welfare.  https://www.scottishspca.org/our-work/glasgow 

The Scottish Parliament is pressing ahead with the Gender Recognition Reform Bill which aims to make the process for trans men and women to legally change their gender much simpler, quicker and less traumatic.

In this week's Gulhane on Politics, I explain how I voted - and why.

A video recording of the debate can be found here: https://bit.ly/3DLsk3m

The debate transcript can be found here: https://bit.ly/3T8cy7f

We also look again at the record in office of the Scottish Government's Cabinet Secretary for Health;

Plus we visit a Glasgow optometrist to learn more about eye care in the community and a new service model that aims to ensure patients are treated quickly and effectively.

The United Kingdom has a new head of government.

Rishi Sunak is Britain's first Hindu and non-white Prime Minister.

At 42, he's also the youngest since Lord Liverpool in 1812.

Rishi is charged with reinforcing the return of market credibility, fixing the economy, sustaining public services, protecting the most vulnerable - while uniting Conservative and Unionists around an agenda of sound money and growth at a time of huge challenges, including real risks to the nation's security.

On this week's episode we also consider Nicola Sturgeon's plan for Scottish independence, which is akin to fantasy economics.

Plus we report from Clydeport on Glasgow's 'Green Freeport' bid - with the goal to create tens of thousands of jobs and accelerate its net zero emissions objectives.

In this the last episode in Series 1 of Gulhane on Politics, we have a special interview from the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham.

Gulhane and Politics will be back for Series 2 on October 24th, when the Scottish Parliament returns after its autumn recess.

The Conservative Party held its autumn conference against a backdrop of financial and political turmoil following the government's mini-budget. 

A proposed tax cut for the country’s highest earners will now not go ahead.

But such was the weight of criticism, that the rest of the mini budget flew under the radar. 

To make sense of the UK Government’s plans to grow the economy, I spoke with Lord Offord of Garvel, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State to the Scotland Office.

Lord Garvel also highlights how the Scottish Government is hampering growth and undermining public services as it taxes workers more than colleagues and counterparts down south.

This week's show tears into the Scottish Health Secretary's shambolic management of the NHS.

We also home-in on the scandal of a very fishy SNP ferries contract - £150 million over budget and 6 years overdue.

Our sights are also on Glasgow's regeneration and its hope to host the next Eurovision Song Contest.

And we'll hear from Scottish Conservatives Leader Douglas Ross who is in Birmingham for this year's Conservative Party Conference.