Holyrood Sources

By Shortbread MediaNews

Holyrood Sources episodes

June 14, 2023 Exclusive: Alex Salmond
Former First Minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond (Geoff's old boss) is on the podcast. He responds to the news of Nicola Sturgeon's arrest and analyses where the SNP stands. He talks about uniting independence-backing parties together ahead of the general election and next Scottish election. He and Geoff reminisce telling never-heard-before stories of the independence referendum campaign - including a near disaster in a helicopter - the release of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi - and an odd phone call from Donald Trump. Leave your reviews and send us your emails: [email protected].
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1 hr 23 min
June 06, 2023 Advice... from Jack McConnell
Former First Minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish Labour Party, Jack McConnell, joins the podcast to talk about election victories and defeats. He remembers campaigns he won and lost. He tells us about 2007, when Labour lost control of Holyrood and how early he knew something was going wrong. He discusses Labour's current position on North Sea oil and gas. He tells us about his relationship with other First Ministers, either present or former. As he reflects on his time as First Minister, he says he thought he was inheriting a tough job - but on reflection, in comparison to Humza Yousaf, he says: "I had it easy." He tells us about his vision for democracy and power in Scotland to be decentralised. What do you think of what Lord McConnell says? Email us: [email protected] to have your email read out next week.
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1 hr 3 min
May 31, 2023 Cooperation and Collaboration...or not
Calum, Andy and new dad Geoff discuss the politics of the oil and gas industry, and the transition to renewables and net zero. After Keir Starmer suggested Labour would not allow new licenses in the North Sea - and Anas Sarwar, seemingly, backed him - we discuss why there can't be more cooperation on a way to achieve net zero. Plus, we look at the deposit return scheme and ask basically the same question: why try to create a constitutional argument out of something that isn't controversial and seems relatively simple to implement? Thanks for your emails. We love to get your messages and we try to reply to every single one, as well as read lots of them out. Email us: [email protected] to get in touch.
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46 min
May 24, 2023 Your Qs: Election Strategy, The Greens, Indy Convention
Throughout the episode, we answer your questions. Calum, Andy and Geoff consider latest polling which suggests losses for the SNP at Westminster, including of Deputy Westminster leader Mhairi Black. We answer Mada's question on election strategies for Labour and the Conservatives. We discuss the Greens as Lorna Slater suggests the Deposit Return Scheme is: "All systems go" and consider Richard asking why the First Minister hasn't got rid of the Greens from Government yet. Then it's onto the Independence Convention - what's the point, and who should be there. And one listener gets in touch with insider insight on Government consultations with the public which they describe as a "box ticking exercise" to confirm a particular direction of travel. Plus, we clear up what happened with #TypeGate. Email us anytime: [email protected]
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51 min
May 17, 2023 Can we make politics better? With Adam Tomkins
Calum, Andy and Geoff are joined by Prof. Adam Tomkins. He was Conservative MSP for the Glasgow region from 2016 to 2021. He's a constitutional lawyer at the University of Glasgow. He was previously a constitutional advisor to the House of Lords Constitution Committee and the Scotland Office. We discuss the end of the road for a referendum route to independence, the latest from Humza Yousaf who has, once again, fallen ill with foot-in-mouth disease after an interview with a BBC Radio programme which Calum has never heard of. Adam shares his experiences of actually working at making laws and policy in Holyrood. Can the parliament function in its capacities to make laws and hold the government to account?
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59 min
May 09, 2023 Exclusive: Polling on IndyRef and party support
A new Survation poll, commissioned by strategic advisory firm True North and shared exclusively with the Holyrood Sources podcast, shows the SNP is losing the support of people who believe in independence. Calum, Geoff and Andy are joined by Fergus Mutch from True North, and Professor Sir John Curtice from the University of Strathclyde to discuss the results and the implications.
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52 min
May 03, 2023 Joanna Cherry: free speech, independence, the SNP
SNP MP Joanna Cherry joins Calum, Geoff and Andy. She's in the middle of a tumultuous week, saying she's been cancelled by The Stand Comedy Club, whose staff don't want to work at an event Joanna was booked to take part in. In light of that, we discuss free speech and how far politicians, and the SNP, are responsible for eroding open debate. She also tells us: "I don't know what the SNP strategy for independence is at the moment." She talks about what the SNP need to do to head for independence and discusses recent policy decisions. Email us: [email protected] with your reaction comments and we'll read them on the next episode.
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1 hr
April 26, 2023 Does Labour deserve to win? With Anas Sarwar
Calum, Geoff and Andy are joined by the Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar who discusses the NHS, his relationship with the Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, what his vision is for the general election in 2024 and the Holyrood election in 2026. Mr Sarwar describes how he wants to work collegiately and considers how Labour can appeal to all parts of Scotland - urban and rural. He says: "We've probably persuaded lots of people why we think the Tories and the SNP deserve to lose. I think the hardest part in politics is now persuading people why Labour deserves to win."

Email your thoughts to us to be read on next week's podcast: [email protected]
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1 hr 6 min
April 19, 2023 Opposition then and now...with Ruth Davidson
Ruth Davidson, former leader of the Scottish Conservative party joins Calum, Geoff and Andy. She discusses the sympathy she feels for Humza Yousaf given the ongoing SNP crisis. Geoff and Andy say the new First Minister's programme for government is getting lost as the crisis around the SNP continues. Ruth reminisces about preparing for First Minister's Questions - she describes the differing styles of Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond. She discusses the future of the Scottish Parliament, her memories of the independence referendum in 2014...and a lot more besides.

Recorded Tuesday 18th April.
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1 hr 5 min
April 12, 2023 Crisis Comms and Campervans
Calum, Geoff and Andy reflect on the last couple of weeks since our exclusive with former SNP leadership candidate and Scottish Government Finance Secretary Kate Forbes and conversation with former Health Secretary Jeane Freeman in our previous two episodes. Plus, we consider the woes of the SNP - has Kate Forbes dodged a bullet? How is Humza Yousaf handling the fallout from the police investigation into financial mismanagement within the SNP? How can the party that, for years, has claimed to speak for the people of Scotland, show this much contempt for the people of Scotland so as to hide things from them? Plus we look at the suggestion from Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party leader, Douglas Ross, that tactical voting should be used to keep the SNP out.
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55 min

About Holyrood Sources

From the publisher's feed

The Holyrood Sources podcast analyses Scottish politics through the experiences of those who have lived and breathed it as Special Advisers to the Scottish Government, SNP and opposition parties.…