Podlitical

It's been a tough week to be a former political party leader. Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson has resigned as an MP ahead of a damning report by the Privileges Committee, where MPs found he had deliberately misled parliament and the committee over pandemic rules breaches. Johnson says the report is a "political assassination". Meanwhile in Holyrood, and former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was arrested and released without charge over the continuing police investigation into SNP party finances. The team discuss the week's explosive news, and how ex-leaders are causing potential problems for the current leaders in Scotland and Westminster, FM Humza Yousaf and PM Rishi Sunak.

Having announced he's standing down at the next election, what's next for Ian Blackford? The SNP MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber since 2015, Ian Blackford joins the team to discuss his time as an MP and SNP Westminster leader, as well as his current role as the party's independence business ambassador and what the future holds for him. Blackford talks about the Deposit Return Scheme, Margaret Ferrier's suspension, and Stephen Flynn taking over as Westminster leader. He discusses the uncertainty in deciding to stand down, the online treatment of politicians, and why he thinks there is "no point" in independence "just for the sake of it".

The former Scottish Labour leader candidly surveys the political landscape from the sidelines. Kezia Dugdale discusses Labour leaders past and present, and the challenge of moving politics in Scotland past the constitutional debate. She gives her verdict on controversial recent adverts from Labour, and the "lads, lads, lads" culture that exists. The former politician also has a revealing assessment of so-called progress at Holyrood, compared to Westminster, and shares exclusive information about a review project to mark the 25th anniversary of the Scottish Parliament.

Speculation around a potential by-election is heating up. Will it be a contest in Rutherglen and Hamilton? Is it ok to say we're missing election fever? We look ahead to the next General Election and where the parties might be concentrating their efforts. The team is joined by polling expert Mark Diffley to give trending insights, polling analysis and informed speculation on the elections ahead.

How does the Scottish independence movement compare to those in other countries? Where do independence campaigns share similarities, and where do they differ? The team is joined by journalist Guy Hedgecoe in Madrid, and Will Hayward, Welsh Affairs Editor for WalesOnline, to compare and contrast the Catalan and Welsh independence movements with Scotland, and get a sense of the political and public sentiment for the movements.

Do coalition governments work for the parties involved, and do they benefit the voters? As talk of potential future coalitions with Labour continue in Westminster after their local election gains, Lucy is joined by political editor Glenn Campbell and political correspondent Kirsten Campbell to look at Scottish and Westminster coalitions and power sharing agreements. Have coalitions, both past and present, typically helped or hindered the parties involved? What does it mean for voters when the policies they may have voted for are used as tools of compromise?

Ahead of the Coronation of Charles III, the team looks at UK attitudes to the monarchy. Lucy and Phil are joined by Professor Ailsa Henderson of the University of Edinburgh, to look at how Scotland and the wider UK feel about King Charles and the monarchy. How do people's views vary by area, party, and constitutional belief, and how have opinions changed since the death of Queen Elizabeth?

First Minister Humza Yousaf meets Prime Minister Rishi Sunak amidst continued SNP turmoil. The team discuss the talks between the new First Minister and the Prime Minister, including the cost of living crisis and devolution. The difficult start to Yousaf's premiership looks set to continue, with former FM Nicola Sturgeon saying the SNP crisis is her 'worst nightmare'. This week saw former SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford clash with the current Westminster leader Stephen Flynn, who revealed the party were still seeking an auditor to process the SNP's accounts, and acknowledged it could miss out on £1.2m in public funds if the deadline is missed. As Rishi Sunak now travels to Scotland for the Scottish Conservative conference this coming weekend, the team also discuss what we might hear from the PM and Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross.

The team catch up post-recess, following the arrests of Peter Murrell and Colin Beattie. Both the former SNP chief executive Murrell and the now former treasurer Beattie were released without charge, in an ongoing investigation into the SNP's finances, which Police Scotland launched in July 2021 under "Operation Branchform" after receiving complaints about how donations were used by the party. Meanwhile in Westminster, a report on allegations of bullying by Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab has been received by PM Rishi Sunak. Raab denies the allegations, and has said he would resign if they are upheld.

The team discuss Humza Yousaf's first days as SNP leader and First Minister of Scotland. After being elected First Minister in Scottish Parliament on Wednesday, Yousaf has revealed his cabinet, and tackled a tricky FMQs disrupted by climate protesters. What do his picks for cabinet tell us about his plans for Scotland, how did he perform in his first days in the top job in Scottish politics, and why might the potential Commons suspension of former SNP MP Margaret Ferrier lead to his first electoral test?