Holyrood Sources

Calum MacDonald, Geoff Aberdein, and Andy Maciver break down Scotland's latest GERS figures, examining revenue vs. public spending, the Barnett Formula, and Scotland's fiscal deficit. 

Plus, the Holyrood Sources team discuss the realities of North Sea oil vs. renewables, and whether John Swinney can escape Sturgeon’s legacy.

Later, George and Andy share their thoughts on former Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar's comments that the House of Lords should be abolished.

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Nicola Sturgeon faces fierce backlash from her own former cabinet colleagues after criticising the SNP's election strategy in a new book foreword. Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein and Andy Maciver break down the response from the First Minister and Cabinet Secretaries.

Plus, as the Scottish Labour leadership contest opens with Monica Lennon, Michael Marra, and Joe Fagan announcing their leadership, we ask: what is Labour’s long-term plan to challenge the SNP, is there any possibility of a party win in 2031?

Later, we revisit Scotland’s income tax debate. Economist Laurie Macfarlane (Co-Director of Future Economy Scotland) responds to Dan Neidle’s analysis on Scotland’s 48p top tax rate.

Does the data really show a £22m loss, or are volatility and broader economic factors being overlooked?

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Why did Scotland’s new 48p top rate of income tax actually backfire and lose £22 million in revenue?

On this episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein, and Andy Maciver analyse the fallout from Scotland's tax policy with tax expert Dan Neidle from Tax Policy Associates.

Will John Swinney reverse a major policy decision originated by his predecessors, Humza Yousaf and Nicola Sturgeon?

We also discuss the Scottish Labour leadership contest following Anas Sarwar’s departure to the House of Lords. We're joined by Francesca Brennan, Inverclyde Councillor and Scottish Representative for Labour in Local and Regional Government.

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Andy Burnham has officially become the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, marking the country’s 7th PM since 2016. 

Join host Calum Macdonald live from Downing Street on this special episode of The Sources Podcasts as we break down every moment of this historic handover of power. From Keir Starmer’s departure speech to Andy Burnham’s note-free address to the nation, we cover the immediate reactions, political strategy, and shock Cabinet appointments shaping the new UK government.

In this episode:

- Keir Starmer’s final speech and exit to Buckingham Palace.

- Andy Burnham’s vision: Ending rough sleeping, re-industrialisation, and cost-of-living relief.

- Expert analysis with Patrick Maguire (The Times), Cathy Newman (Times Radio/Sky News), Anna Mikhailova (Times Radio), Peter Cardwell (Talk), Alexander Brown (Daily Mirror), Stefan Boscia (The Times), Andrew Quinn (The Scotsman), and Kate Ferguson (Sun on Sunday).

- Breaking Cabinet Announcements: John Healey as Chancellor, Ed Miliband as Foreign Secretary, Shabana Mahmood as Home Secretary, and Louise Haigh as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

💬 What do you think of Andy Burnham's new Cabinet? Will his 10-year plan stabilise UK politics? Let us know

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#AndyBurnham #KeirStarmer #UKPolitics #DowningStreet #Number10 #BritishPolitics #LabourParty #UKPrimeMinister #TheSourcesPodcast

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On today's episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein and Andy Maciver are joined by Scottish Labour MSP, Paul Sweeney to discuss the shock news that Anas Sarwar is set to resign to join new PM Andy Burnham's team in Westminster.

What will Sarwar's departure mean for Scottish Labour and the UK Labour Party overall.

Has Sarwar blindsided his Holyrood colleagues by accepting a job out of the blue?

And what kind of leader is Burnham going to be, now he is officially the top dog in Westminster?

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Andy Burnham is preparing to become Prime Minister—but what does that mean for Scotland, Labour and the future of UK politics?

In this episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein and Andy Maciver to discuss what Burnham's government could look like, who could join his Cabinet, and whether Labour can truly deliver the change voters are demanding.

What is Andy Burnham's leadership style?

Who will sit round the cabinet table... What does the future hold for Ed Miliband, Wes Streeting, Douglas Alexander and other prominent figures in the Labour party.

Will the new Prime Minister reset Westminster's relationship with Scotland and could his premiership lead to further devolution to Holyrood and right across the country?

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On a summer special of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein and Andy Maciver are joined by the 2026 Scottish Labour candidate for Galloway and West Dumfries, Jack McConnel (the other one).

Jack is one of the leading voices in a growing movement within the Scottish Labour Party, that wants to break away from UK Labour and stand as an independent body.

Jack explains why he thinks a breakaway party would be good for the Scottish Labour movement and Scottish politics as a whole and compares the move to similar political arrangements in other countries.

You can read more about the just for Scotland movement here at https://www.justscotland.win/

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On today's episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald and Geoff Aberdein are live on College Green at Westminster as they discuss what the future of London politics will mean for Scotland.

The pair are joined by ITV Border political reporter Ollie Wright and Labour MP Torcuil Crichton and Conservative MP Harriet Cross to discuss where UK and Scottish politics is heading, just a couple of a weeks out from the Westminster summer recess.

They Discuss:

What kind of Prime Minister will Andy Burnham be for Scotland?

Who will be Scottish Secretary?

What does the future hold for Anas Sarwar and his relationship with UK Labour?

And has Nigel Farage already lost on his by-election gamble?

This episode is sponsored by the Scotch Whisky Association.

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On today's episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald and Geoff Aberdein react to Andy Burnham's first major speech as presumptive Prime Minister. Will his plans to 'rewire Britain' and run some of the UK government from the new Number 10 North (of England), be beneficial or harmful to those living in Scotland?

Will Andy Burnham be a Prime Minister for the whole of the UK and not just England?

What will further devolution in Scotland mean, could we see metro-mayors appear across the country?

... and can the probable PM actually connect with voters once in power, something that Keir Starmer has failed to do so?

Later in the show Calum, Geoff and Andy answer some of your questions, including

Whether a independent pro-union party in Scotland mirror the CDU-CSU arrangement in Germany?

... and what would real fiscal autonomy mean for Scotland, government spending and the independence movement?

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Following the sentencing of former SNP Chief Executive Peter Murrell to over five years in prison, Calum, Geoff, and Andy sit down with The Scotsman’s Catriona Stewart to dissect the staggering evidence released by the Crown Office. From the infamous campervan to Nicola Sturgeon’s bookcase, we break down what this means for the future of the SNP.

Later in the episode, we look at the rumblings of a leadership challenge facing Scottish Labour’s Anas Sarwar as Westminster transitions under Andy Burnham. Plus, we are joined by the newly elected Conservative MP for Aberdeen South, Douglas Lumsden, fresh off a historic by-election victory driven by the energy policy battle.

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Read Catriona Stewart’s latest column in The Scotsman: https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/no-forgiveness-for-peter-murrell-as-his-ex-snp-peers-find-his-sins-beyond-redemption-8757602

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