Holyrood Sources

On the final day of the parliamentary term, the Holyrood Sources team (Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein, and Andy Maciver) head outside the Scottish Parliament to capture the raw emotions of outgoing and campaigning MSPs.

As Scotland prepares for the 2026 Scottish Parliament Election, we sit down with key figures from across the political spectrum to discuss the SNP’s record, the potential for a Labour minority government, and the "scourge factor" of the polls.

In this episode, we explore:

Ivan McKee (SNP) on the "unarguable" case for an independence referendum and the metrics for success.

Fergus Ewing (Independent) on why he left the SNP after 50 years and his "iceberg" warning for the current government.

Monica Lennon (Labour) on the "toxic" atmosphere of the chamber and reaching "abandoned" voters.

The Reform UK Factor: How Nigel Farage's party is influencing the strategy of the Scottish Conservatives and the SNP alike.

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Is Holyrood broken? On the final day of the parliamentary session, the Holyrood Sources team (Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein, and Andy Maciver) are LIVE from outside the Scottish Parliament.

As 42 MSPs prepare to walk out of these doors for the last time, we speak to the politicians left standing. From the "Tory Trinity" to the SNP's internal shifts and the growing shadow of Reform UK, this episode dives into the fractious nature of the last session and what the "long campaign" means for your pocketbook.

Key Topics Covered:

The Energy Crisis: Why the North Sea is the ultimate political football.

The Reform Threat: Will the next parliament be the "Wild West"?

Legacy vs. Reality: Has Holyrood become too distant from the people?

The 1999 Club: Who is left from the original parliament?

Featured Guests: Brian Whittle (Con), Michelle Thompson (SNP), Marie Todd (SNP), Emma Roddick (SNP), Megan Gallacher (Con), Jackson Carlaw (Con), Murdo Fraser (Con), and Graham Simpson (Reform).

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In this special episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein, and Andy Maciver are joined by The Scotsman’s Catriona Stewart and former headteacher Carole Ford to dissect the "abysmal" data surrounding Scottish attainment. From the "opaque" Curriculum for Excellence to the 43% of pupils now identified with Additional Support Needs (ASN), we ask: Is the system sustainable?

We are also joined by Thomas Robertson, teacher at Saint Andrews RC Secondary School and Janine Leonard from StandUK, a charity that supports autistic and neurodivergent children , who add their own perspectives from within the industry.

They ask:

• Why is it nearly impossible for parents to see how schools are performing?
• Has the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) hollowed out real learning?
• Why 43% of pupils have 'additional support needs'
• Will any party be brave enough for radical reform?

Connect with us:

📧 Email: [email protected]

📱 WhatsApp: 0333 404 6507

🎙️ Subscribe for weekly inside tracks on Scottish politics.

GET TICKETS NOW FOR OUR LEADERS SPECIAL: Click holyroodsources.com/live

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On today's episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald, Andy Maciver and Geoff Aberdein break down another week of Scottish politics and reflect on the continued fighting in the Middle East. They discuss the global energy crisis and the impact of the Strait of Hormuz disruption and debate the future of North Sea oil and gas policy

Political scientist Ailsa Henderson joins the podcast to explain the latest polling trends from the Scottish Election Study ahead of the 2026 Scottish Parliament election. She suggests how the SNP have managed to maintain popularity for so long and whether the UK Conservatives can learn anything from the downfall of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in the 1990s.

This episode is also the first in our series of election candidate interviews. Calum, Andy and Geoff meet three of the candidates who the podcast will follow through the election campaign. They are joined by Lloyd Melville from the SNP, Isla McCay from Labour and Sanne Dijkstra-Downie from the Liberal Democrats.

Connect with us:

📧 Email: [email protected]

📱 WhatsApp: 0333 404 6507

🎙️ Subscribe for weekly inside tracks on Scottish politics.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of the Holyrood Sources Podcast, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein and Andy Maciver unpack the ongoing situation in Iran and across the Middle East from a Scottish perspective. They are joined by Dr Siavush Randjbar-Daemi, Lecturer at The University of St Andrews, to discuss:

• Whether the Iranian regime can survive the assassination of its Supreme Leader
• How the UK government is responding — and whether Starmer is being “nimble” enough
• The implications for Scottish politics and First Minister John Swinney

Later in the show they break down the latest major poll ahead of the Scottish Parliament election, Mark McGeoghegan from Ipsos, joins the show. The SNP hold firm but Labour is up four points and Reform UK seem to have slipped back slightly. Calum, Geoff and Andy discuss the implications of this and ask whether Scotland is moving back towards left-right politics rather than the constitutional question.

Connect with us:

📧 Email: [email protected]

📱 WhatsApp: 0333 404 6507

🎙️ Subscribe for weekly inside tracks on Scottish politics.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein and Andy Maciver discuss a brand new MRP poll which suggests that the Scottish National Party (SNP) could win an outright majority at Holyrood — something not seen since 2011 under Alex Salmond.

Calum, Geoff and Andy also consider the future of the Additional Member System, whether Holyrood needs reform, and what Denmark’s energy U-turn means for the North Sea debate.

We're also joined by Shona Haslam from Logos Scotland, to discuss Christians in Scotland's views ahead of the election.

In this episode of Holyrood Sources, we break down:

📊 The Stonehaven MRP poll and what it means for John Swinney

📉 Labour’s collapse under Anas Sarwar

📈 The rise of Nigel Farage and Reform UK in Scotland

🗳️ Candidate list rankings from the SNP and Scottish Labour

⛪ How faith and values are shaping political identity ahead of 2026

Connect with us:

📧 Email: [email protected]

📱 WhatsApp: 0333 404 6507

🎙️ Subscribe for weekly inside tracks on Scottish politics.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein, and Andy Maciver dive into the latest bombshell polling that shows a record low for Scottish Labour and a stunning breakthrough for Reform UK. With the Scottish election looming, can Anas Sarwar distance himself from a struggling Keir Starmer, or is the SNP set to dominate once again?

What we discuss:

• The Sarwar vs. Starmer Rift: 52% of Scots support Sarwar’s call for Starmer to resign—but will it save Labour at the polls?
• The Reform UK Surge: Analyzing the projection of 22 seats for Nigel Farage’s party in Scotland.
• The IFS Warning: Is Scotland’s "free stuff" culture sustainable? We discuss the looming cuts to tuition and prescriptions.
• Business in Crisis: A listener’s warning on business rates and the risk of mass redundancies before May.
• The Islands Forum Scrapped: Why has the UK government axed a key link for Scotland's island communities?

Connect with us:

📧 Email: [email protected]

📱 WhatsApp: 0333 404 6507

🎙️ Subscribe for weekly inside tracks on Scottish politics.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Holyrood Sources, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein and Andy Maciver dissect further fallout from Anas Sarwar's dramatic calls for Keir Starmer to resign. Now the dust has settled we break down the political implications and potential outcomes heading into the Scottish Parliament election.

Was this a failed coup? A bold strategic move? Or the beginning of a fundamental split between Scottish Labour and Westminster?

Why did Sarwar make his move against Starmer now and will John Swinney and the SNP be able to exploit the fallout?

We also remember former Scottish Health Secretary, Jeane Freeman, who passed away this week at the age of 72.

And stay tuned until the end of today's episode to hear your questions answered. Calum, Geoff and Andy discuss citizen's assemblies in Scotland, exploiting Scotland's wind energy potentially and whether or not the mainstream media is unfair towards Reform UK.

📩 Join the conversation:

WhatsApp us on 0333 404 6507 or send a voice note to feature in a future episode.

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Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has called for Prime Minister Keir Starmer to resign — and the political fallout could reshape the Holyrood election.

In this special Holyrood Sources episode, Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein and Andy Maciver break down a day of extraordinary political drama.

👉 Is this a bold act of leadership — or a desperate gamble?

👉 Does this prove Scottish Labour is still just a “branch office”?

👉 Could this actually help Sarwar in May’s election?

👉 What happens if Starmer survives?

With Labour infighting, cabinet briefings, Westminster chaos and Scottish election strategy all colliding, this could be one of the most consequential political days in years.

Topics covered:

• Why Sarwar made his move now
• Labour Party civil war and briefing battles
• The “branch office” problem for Scottish Labour
• How voters might react
• What this means for the SNP and Reform
• Is this political bravery or a Hail Mary?

🎧 Holyrood Sources brings insider analysis from people who’ve run campaigns at the highest level of UK and Scottish politics.

📩 Get in touch: 0333 404 6507

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In this episode of Holyrood Sources, we remember Scotland's first Deputy First Minister, Jim Wallace as Calum Macdonald, Geoff Aberdein and Andy Maciver are joined by former Scottish Liberal Democrat Leader Tavish Scott to discuss Jim's political career and legacy.

Before that, this episode also discusses reports that the Scottish Greens will stand aside in most constituency seats, giving the SNP a clear run — and whether this could boost John Swinney’s chances of an outright majority. Andy and Geoff also examine the growing impact of Reform UK, and why they may be the SNP’s biggest unintended ally.

The panel also reacts to Anas Sarwar’s pledge to ban trans women from female prisons, exploring Labour’s U-turns on gender policy and the risks for the Scottish Government as a court challenge unfolds.

Later, Calum speaks to Chris Herd, founder of Firstbase, who explains why he had to leave Scotland for the US to build a nine-figure tech company — and what Scotland must change to stop the flight of talent and capital.

📩 Join the conversation:

WhatsApp us on 0333 404 6507 or send a voice note to feature in a future episode.

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